Broken Pipe: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water the Damage?
Additional Living Expenses (ALE) coverage: If you are temporarily displaced from your home, ALE coverage, also known as loss of use coverage, will reimburse you for food, travel, and hotel expenses. When you are forced out of your home, you may have to live in a hotel for a few days. During this time you will probably spend more money on food than you would if you were living at home. You may even incur other costs such as traveling to and from work that you wouldn’t normally do due to the circumstances. This is all taken into consideration and covered by this portion of your policy.
Dwelling coverage: The structure of your home is covered in this section of your policy. Your walls, floors, ceilings, cabinets, and other building portions of your home are covered by the dwelling coverage. Your dwelling coverage will reimburse you if covered water damages a portion of your home or if you have to remove a portion of a wall to repair a leak.
Property coverage: Your policy will reimburse you for any personal property destroyed in your home as a result of a plumbing malfunction, such as furniture, electronics, or personal items such as clothing. However, certain luxury items, such as jewelry, may only be covered up to a certain limit. These items would need an add-on policy to be fully covered.
If you should have high-end collectibles or valuables you will want to ensure that these are covered with an add-on to your homeowners’ insurance. This will cover the costs of replacement, should a burst pipe water damage destroy them in some way.
What Insurance Covers and Doesn’t Cover
If water unexpectedly began to pour out of the pipe that feeds your washing machine while you were away, it could cause your ceiling to cave in, wooden floors to be ruined, or other possible damages.
Once you file a claim you will have a meeting with the insurance adjuster. They will take a look at your situation and either approve or deny your claim. However, keep in mind that your insurance will most likely carry a deductible. This is the amount that you will have to pay for the damages, the insurance will cover the rest.
While Most Burst Pipe Water Damage is Covered, What isn’t?
Home insurance policies do not cover normal wear and tear, and unless you have an addon to your policy. They will not reimburse you for water damage caused by a clogged drain or flood.
While plumbing problems and burst pipes are covered, it’s important to note that certain situations or types of damage are not. When you file a claim for water damage, your homeowners’ insurance company will send an adjuster to assess the extent and cost of the damage. The adjuster will take a look at the situation and decide if you have a claim or not.
