Insurance Companies and Pipe Damage

10/5/2020 (Permalink)

If cold temperatures cause your pipes to burst and water to damage your wood floors, your homeowner's insurance may cover it. It depends on what happened. Generally, your insurance coverage will protect you from water damage, but it all depends on what caused the issue. Read on to learn more about insurance companies and pipe damage.

Different Types of Damage

Gradual damage, such as a leaky pipe or a crack in the foundation, is a reason insurance companies won't pay for the damage. This is because no insurance company covers problems due to poor maintenance. But they will pay for sudden damage. Sometimes, it can be hard to know if you have something gradual or not. Things that are covered can include cracked water tanks, exploding dishwashers, and burst pipes. Here are some key things to remember:

• Your Insurance covers damage that is sudden and unforeseen
  
• Your Insurance does not cover gradual damage
  
  

How Insurance Companies View Pipes
Insurance companies generally consider plumbing to be part of a home's normal maintenance. Property owners are responsible for making sure that pipes are properly maintained. If you don't maintain your pipes, any damage will not be covered. However, leaky pipes are different from burst pipes. These are pipes that could flood your home. So the damage they bring is typically covered.
Keep in mind that this does not apply to burst pipes and a flood if you live where it is cold and do not have heat. Burst pipes must happen suddenly, by accident, and not be preventable. In other words, if you ignore a leaky pipe and it bursts, it will not be covered.
If you're not sure if your insurance company will cover those remediation professionals you had to hire, you should consider the type of damage that happened to your home in Surfside, FL. Remember if you didn't fix the broken pipe when there was a small leak, the subsequent burst pipe will not be covered. If you did take care of your home than any flood damage will likely be covered by your insurance.