Will Your Home Insurance Policy Cover Water Damage To Your Home?

Water damage is an unfortunate and awful thing. It can puncture the mood and energy of the people residing in water affected areas. It is a pinching problem that can cause you hundreds and thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Therefore, if you fall a victim to it, you require immediate repair and restoration.

One of the most common and frequent insurance claims is for water damage. It’s no wonder people have a pool of questions related to the home insurance policy. Water damage can mark anyone’s house for devastation at any time. So, people are more inclined towards knowing what is and what is not included in the home insurance policy.

Not all the incidents of water damage are covered in a home insurance policy. There is a lot of confusion spinning around on this matter.

Only the problems that spring up from sudden and internal water damage are covered by your home insurance policy.

To your disappointment, those damages are not addressed that is a part of a natural disaster like a flood or caused by your negligence in home maintenance.

It’s not as easy as ABC to figure out when and when not, your homeowners’ insurance will cast light on water damage. But this post will guide you about some specific situations when you will get coverage for this disaster.

When does your Home Insurance Policy Cover Water Damage?

Standard and set policies include a clause for the repair of water damage. Like mentioned earlier, it only covers the sudden or internal damage, provided that water has not made its way to the outside ground.

Given below are some of the key situations that will give you a clear picture in mind.

1. Plumbing defects like frozen and faulty plumbing, burst pipes, etc.
2. A dripping and leaking roof/ceiling (Only the interiors will be covered not the entire roof itself)
3. Accidental and unexpected overflows.
4. Mold (if and only when it’s due to grave water damage)
5. Vandalism – destruction to the private property

What’s not covered in the Policy?

If you’re someone who remains oblivious to water damage, despite visible sign & warning, you are at a great disadvantage. Lack of maintenance of the pipes also leads to water damage. And it is not covered as a part of the home insurance policy. For this, you’re on the hook personally. No one but you has to pay up for your negligence and lack of attention.

The areas where you are not covered by the policy are:

1. Sewer backups
2. Ground seepage and infiltration
3. Flooding
4. Lack of care and maintenance of the water pipes which eventually leads to leaks

If you live in an area prone to floods, you’ll have to purchase additional flood insurance.

Is Mold covered in your Insurance Policy?

It is way too expensive to get in touch with professionals for conducting a mold inspection and removal process. Based on what caused the molds to grow in the first place, your home insurance may completely or partly help you rid these molds of your home. If molds occur as an extension of water damage, you’ll get all or some coverage.

Mind it, if it’s a lack of maintenance from your side, no one will come to rescue you from your self-caused damage. If a pipe has been leaking or spilling for years without due repairs, molds will grow. Unfortunately, it is not covered in the home insurance policy.

Similarly, molds that flourish in your homes by dint of water seepage or humid environments, the insurance companies will not entertain you.

The best way to prevent mold growth is to keep your house clean and dry. Take immediate action on the spills and leaks as soon as you detect the source. Use fans, vents, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners to reduce indoor humidity levels.

Use a level-headed approach to throw out these distressing creatures. Be on top of repairs and stay vigilant. Regularly inspect basements, bathrooms, kitchens, crawl spaces, etc. for moisture. Use bleach to kill the molds on the non-porous surfaces.

Taking these measures, you can war against these mold infestations.

Insurance Claims:

Whenever you discover any water problem in the house, contact your insurance agent or company at the earliest. After you file a claim, your insurer will ask you some questions to know whether the damage caused is expected or unexpected.

It’s always advisable to take pictures of the affected area and attach them with the official claim document as evidence. If your claim is right, it will be approved and you’ll be given compensation.

Also, if the molds are thought to have come from water damage, you may be asked to file a second claim. If approved, the damage will be restored as per the policy.

Conclusion:

Water damage is mostly an unintended or overlooked problem that may lead to other problems. Many questions pop up in one’s head when it comes to the insurance policy.

It’s best to keep yourself educated on what does your home insurance policy covers or not. If your damage is sudden, you’ll be offered redemption but if not, sadly you’ll have to bear the costly restoration on your shoulders.

Is your house affected by water damage too? Schedule an appointment with Dry Effect today and our water damage restoration experts will come for the rescue of your home.