How insurance decides which water damage it pays for
Policies do not ask how bad the damage is. They ask where the water came from and how quickly it arrived. Those two answers settle most claims.
For homeowners. You will be connected with an independent local contractor. Calls may be recorded.
Sudden and accidental: the phrase that decides most claims
A typical homeowners policy pays for water that escapes suddenly and by accident from a plumbing, heating or air conditioning system or a household appliance. A supply line that bursts, a water heater tank that splits, a washing machine hose that lets go: these are the claims policies are written for.
The policy also pays to tear out and replace the parts of the building needed to reach the leak, but usually not for the failed part itself. The burst pipe is maintenance; the soaked floor is the claim.
Slow leaks are usually excluded
Water that seeps or leaks over weeks or months, such as a drip under a sink or a shower pan failing behind tile, is treated as wear and lack of maintenance. Rot and mold that grew from it are usually excluded on the same grounds. If you find old damage, report it anyway and let the adjuster decide; just do not expect the sudden-loss answer.
Rising water is flood, and flood is a separate policy
Homeowners policies exclude flood: surface water, overflowing rivers and storm surge. Flood cover comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer. An NFIP policy bought voluntarily generally takes effect 30 days after purchase, and damage from a flood that was already under way when you bought it is not covered.
Wind is different again. In some coastal states wind and hail are carved out of the homeowners policy and written separately, so a storm can involve three policies at once.
Sewer and drain backup needs its own endorsement
Water that backs up through a floor drain, toilet or sewer line is excluded from most standard homeowners policies unless you added water backup coverage. It is a short endorsement and often has its own lower limit, so check whether you have it before you need it.
Mold is often capped
Many policies cover mold only when it follows a covered water loss, and then only up to a fixed sub-limit. Read the mold section of your own policy: the number there, not the size of the job, sets what will be paid.
Your part: stop it getting worse, and keep records
- Take reasonable steps to stop further damage: shut off the water and start drying. Policies expect it, and they generally pay reasonable costs of doing it.
- Photograph everything before it is moved or removed, and keep samples of materials such as carpet and pad if you can.
- Ask the drying contractor for their moisture readings and equipment log, and keep every invoice.
- The contractor works for you, not for the insurer. Signing over your insurance benefits to a contractor is a separate decision; read that document before you sign it.
Short answers
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?
Usually yes for the water damage, when the pipe failed suddenly. The repair of the pipe itself is usually treated as maintenance and is not covered.
Is flooding from a storm covered by homeowners insurance?
No. Rising water and storm surge are flood, which needs a separate flood policy from the NFIP or a private insurer.
How long until a new flood policy starts?
An NFIP policy bought voluntarily generally takes effect 30 days after purchase, with a few exceptions such as a purchase tied to a mortgage.
Is a sewer backup covered?
Not under most standard homeowners policies unless water backup coverage was added as an endorsement.