Water damage is one of the most confusing coverages on a homeowner’s policy. Each company and each policy are different, be sure to check with your agent.
Here are a few general guidelines on how certain cases are treated:
Broken or frozen pipes. These are usually covered on a standard homeowner’s policy. Some policies on vacant dwellings do not cover this peril though.
Flood. Flood is defined as rising ground water that comes into the dwelling through an opening. This is never covered under a homeowner’s policy! A separate flood policy must be purchased to protect against a flood. A common misconception is you must live in a flood zone to buy this, but that is not correct. Anyone may buy a flood policy.
Back up of sewer and drain. When your drain and/or toilet backups it creates quite a mess in the home! This is an optional coverage that most people believe is already included, but it must be specifically added. We always offer this to our clients. Make sure you are covered for this!
Water from rain and/or storm. The most common water damage is when a storm hits and you have a leaky roof, broken window that lets in the rain or other weather related incidents. These are usually covered.
The above advice is not intended to provide coverage, change your policy or make a guarantee. Please check your policy to see if you are covered! If you are in the market for homeowner's insurance, please contact Koontz Insurance!
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