Plumbing leaks and broken pipes can cause an overwhelming amount of damage to your home or business. In these instances, not only should the pipes and plumbing be repaired or replaced, but also the finishes and contents of the affected area that received damage as a result of sudden water intrusion.
Repairs to your dwelling from damage caused by a pipe burst can be costly, but your homeowner’s insurance policy should provide coverage. The problem is that some plumbing insurance claims are underpaid or outright denied.
Get Help with a Plumbing Insurance Claim
Examples of Water Damage from Plumbing
Water is intrusive and can create losses well beyond a broken pipe. What if a pipe breaks in a second-story bathroom? Water can compromise the floor, then run down inside the walls to the first floor affecting drywall, carpet, and electrical systems along the way.
And since water can reach areas out of sight, your loss can be much greater than what meets the eye:
- Structural damage to wood beams and rafters
- Saturated and weakened drywall or plaster
- Mold and mildew inside walls in as little as 36 hours here in Florida
- Corrosion of other pipes, low- and high-voltage wiring
- Ruined carpet, laminate floors, cabinets, and furniture
- Shorted or inoperable electronics, thermostats, or speaker systems
What a Homeowners Claim for Water Damage Should Cover
Your policy should cover things like the repair or replacement to your dwelling and personal property — the structure, finishes, and contents damaged from the loss. Damaged property and belongings within your home or business should be restored to their pre-loss condition using comparable materials. However, there are many other costs invovled with recovery, and our team often finds that these are overlooked in an insurance adjuster's estimate. Sometimes, they may not even make specific information known to you, which can severly undervalue your claim.
Consider these questions when dealing with a water damage claim:
- Do you need temporary housing while your home is being repaired?
- Where are you going to store large items that need to be moved during repairs?
- Who is going to move furniture to allow access to fix the walls or floors?
- Will undamaged flooring and furniture be protected as repairs are being made?
- What happens when laminate floors are no longer available to purchase and they only paid you to replace a portion of the floor?
A typical homeonwers insurance policy covers a number of problems, but also involves its own list of exclusions. Give your policy a glance to ensure you understand what is and isn't covered to eliminate any risk of incuring those out-of-pocket costs.
What is Not Covered by Your Homeowners Policy
There are different types of water and plumbing leak damages — some of which are not covered by your homeowners insurance:
Damage from lack of maintenance: A continuous leak from a faucet or other plumbing fixture, often called chronic or gradual damage from water, typically is not covered by your insurance company. Their goal is to pay nothing or as little as possible. If your claim is denied due to this type of leak, contact us to recover the money you are entitled to.
Replacing or repairing the source of damage: If a dishwasher or washing machine breaks, your policy will cover the replacement of the floor or baseboards. However, you will left with the cost of replacing the appliance itself.
Sewage backup: While a sudden break in a toilet supply line is covered by insurance, a backed up sewage system is not.