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Does Your Homeowner's Insurance Cover Plumbing & Leaks?

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Maybe yesterday was fantastic, but imagine if today, you woke up to see that your day is turning into a worst nightmare. Won't it take away your enthusiasm for work and your plans? It will, right? Here, it's about the plumbing issues you have been ignoring for many years has brought uninvited trouble with a bad mood. The troubles are a pipe that has started leaking, a toilet that's not flushing, a sewer line backing up, and a clogged drain.

Does homeowner's insurance cover plumbing and leaks?

Sometimes, home insurance may cover your costs, and sometimes it may not! It all depends on the policy you carry! So, let's see about this issue:

• Not expected:

If a pipe in your home has been showing leaks for many months or maybe a year, that makes it rotten or mould, so it will not get covered by a homeowners insurance policy as it was not sudden and unexpected.

• Caused by an exclusion:

The damage to your sewage systems and pipes due to earthquakes and floods is excluded and will not be your carrier's responsibility to cover the damage. However, you can add a rider to the current policy to get covered under these exclusions.

• The issue is not on your property:

If the public sewage system is the cause of the damage to the pipes or sewage backup, it's not covered by the insurance as the root cause is not your property.

Types of Plumbing Problems Covered

• If caused suddenly:

In most cases, homeowner's insurance covers your plumbing-related damage if it's ''sudden and unexpected.'' If there is a sudden freeze or burst of your house pipe, like coming out of water and damaging your floors, carpet, and walls, your insurance will cover the cleaning and repairs.

• Due to an unnatural cause:

If a fire destroys your house's plumbing system, the insurance will cover the cost, as it's not a natural calamity, like floods and earthquakes.

• If the issue is at your place:

if your house is not the source of the issue, the homeowner's insurance will not cover it. For example, if you stepped down to your basement and found a sewage backup,. Then, the standard homeowner insurance will cover the issue. But there is one condition to this:. If the sewage backup was due to a problem in your house's sewage system, it is covered, but not if the cause was a public sewage system.

Exclusions and Limitations

Above are the reasons why the plumbing issues are covered, but now it is time to understand when they're not covered:

• If your house pipe is old or has wear and tear:

You should look into your plumbing system maintenance, like the other parts of your home. As your plumbing system ages, house pipes will wear and tear, like rust, corrosion, or occasional leaks. These issues don't get covered by homeowner insurance.

• Plumbing issues due to ignorance:

The insurance will not cover the plumbing damages if it's your fault. For example, the insurance will not cover the damage if you go on your favourite holiday, but forget to turn off your heat for approximately a week during the winter.

• Plumbing issues caused by bad installation:

If a washing machine or gadget is installed improperly in your house, a sudden water flow can ruin your home. In this case, homeowner's insurance will not cover the damage caused.

• Water or sewage backup:

The insurance will not cover repairs or damage if the public sewage system is responsible for the water backup in your house's pipes. But you can add a rider that covers up this type of damage.

Filing a Plumbing Insurance Claim

Steps for filing an insurance claim:

Be ready with the documents:

• Insurance policy number:

Your insurance company will ask for your policy number. So be ready for it.

• Details of the damage:

The documents asked for are videos, photos, and professional reports. So, the more details, the stronger the claim.

• List of damaged items:

You need to list all the damages caused to your property, including the value and purchase date of the items.

Communicate with your insurance provider.

• Contact immediately:

As soon as the damage is caused, contact your insurance provider immediately to begin the claim. It can be done via mail, online portal, mobile app, or phone.

• Give information in detail:

Tell the insurer about the damage caused by the pipe leak and your actions during the damage.

What happens when the insurance adjuster visits?

• Schedule of an appointment:

An adjuster will be sent to your house by your insurance company. So be sure to be available at that time

• Inspection:

The adjuster will examine the damages and see your documentation to evaluate the leak's impact.

• Next steps:

You will get compensated as per the scheduled timeline for the next steps

So, now the question ''Does Homeowner Insurance Cover Plumbing'' is decoded wholly without any crumbs of doubt left.

Conclusion:

Homeowner insurance does cover the damage caused by pipe leakages, but with some conditions, as there are specific situations for this to happen. For example, the type of homeowner insurance you carry, the plumbing issue you are facing, and the reason for that issue will determine whether you are covered or not. The insurance will not cover the damage if the cause of damage is not on your property; the pipe has wear and tear due to age, improper installation, floods, earthquakes, and faults.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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