Damages due to water are often covered by standard homeowners insurance policies. However, it is important to note that water damages are not always covered by standard homeowners insurance policies. It will depend on the cause of the water damage in most cases.
Water damages due to neglect or lack of proper maintenance will not be covered in most cases. In addition to that, standard homeowners insurance policies also do not offer coverage for flood-related water damages in most cases. However, homeowners will be able to get coverage for sudden and unexpected internal water damages.
When Do homeowners insurance policies Offer Coverage For Water Damage?
As mentioned earlier, standard homeowners insurance policies usually offer coverage for internal and sudden water damages. However, certain insurance companies may set a requirement, which states that the water should not touch the outside ground of your house.
This implies that water damages that get coverage should be a result of one of the perils covered in the standard homeowner’s insurance that includes accidental and sudden tearing, bulging or burning, heating, cracking, or more.
Water damage will be covered under homeowners insurance policies in the following cases.
- Snowstorm or rain
- Burst pipes, faulty plumbing, accidental overflow frozen plumbing
- Water damage that occurred due to extinguishing a fire
- Water damage due to roof leakage
- Accidental overflow of fixtures or appliances like washing machine, toilet, and bathtub
- Mold
- Vandalism
Most standard homeowners insurance policies will not offer coverage for water damage that occurred due to the following reasons.
- Poor maintenance of leaks, which results in leaks
- Flooding
- Sewer or water pipe backups
- Ground seepage
It is important to note that you will not get coverage for water damage due to flood. So, if you are living in a flood-prone area, it is best to buy flood insurance.