What Kind of Water Damage Does Home Insurance Cover? | SERVPRO of East Cobb

7/23/2021 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of East Cobb 24-hours a day at 770-424-0400 or visit www.SERVPROeastcobbga.com for more information on water damage restoration.

Water damage is an issue that is never fun to face as a homeowner, and it can leave you with a lot of questions if you discover it in your household. While homeowners insurance is an important component of protecting your investment, when it comes to water damage, the rules about what is and is not covered can be rather unclear.

To make things less confusing for residents of Cobb County, we thought it would be helpful to compile a general list of water damage types that are and are not covered by standard homeowner’s insurance policies. While it is always best to check your specific policy to understand exactly what is and is not covered, hopefully this guideline can help you be aware of where your policy may fall short in the event of water damage.

Types of Water Damage Typically Covered by Homeowners Insurance

The type of coverage that your insurance policy will extend to help you with water damage typically depends on where the water in question is originating from. Some of the water damage scenarios that are typically covered by a standard insurance policy are:

• Water damage due to burst pipes
• Water damage due to secondary damage (i.e. a branch breaks a window and lets rain in)
• Water damage due to broken sprinkler systems
• Water damage due to extreme weather conditions
• Water damage due to ice dams

Additionally, some insurance policies will cover water damage due to sewage backups, while others will not. That is something that is definitely worth looking into with your specific policy.

Types of Water Damage Not Typically Covered by Homeowners Insurance

The most well-known type of water damage that is not covered by a standard homeowners policy is flooding—this almost always has to be purchased separately by the homeowner. However, there are other scenarios where insurance may not provide coverage as well, such as:

• If water damage is due to neglect (i.e. leaving a window open in the rain)
• If water damage is due to a known issue (i.e. forgoing roof repairs)
• If water damage happens over time (i.e. an ongoing leak that was not repaired)

*If you discover water damage in your home, SERVPRO of East Cobb can help—and we can work with your insurance company, too. We are here for you 24/7. Give us a call today at (770) 424-0400 or click here and one of our loss coordinators will contact you ASAP.