by Insurance Maze » Mon Nov 05, 2007 01:31 pm
Water leakage is a problem and one that is not covered under homeowners insurance. So, the best thing one can do is to be cautious and keep a regular check. Homeowners insurance would typically refuse any claim related to water leakage over a period of time. It would be categorized under negligence. However, under certain special circumstances, your insurer may provide coverage against damage from a water leak.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
Yes, it does but very specific types. Homeowners insurance would not cover damages from flood. Flood insurance is a separate policy that you need to purchase. It would also not cover damage caused by a leaking pipe in your home, but would cover damage from rain getting inside the house through a hole in the roof or a broken window if the hole or the broken window was a result of a storm or extreme weather conditions. If the water damage was due to your negligence, home insurance would not cover it. If you do not know what kind of water damage is covered by your insurance company, go through your policy papers for details.
If there are damages from a storm in your house make sure you dry all the wet areas after the storm has passed away. Provide air circulation to the wet areas cover them with tar if possible to prevent further damage. This will help minimize the possibility of mould growing in your home.
If there are damages from a storm in your house make sure you dry all the wet areas after the storm has passed away. Provide air circulation to the wet areas cover them with tar if possible to prevent further damage. This will help minimize the possibility of mould growing in your home.
What duty do you have as a homeowner?
It is your duty to keep a check on all fixtures in your home. See to it that they are all maintained well. If there has been any water damage make sure you remedy it as soon as possible. Even a small leakage can lead to mould that would further damage your property. It also causes health hazards like asthma, sinusitis and bronchitis.
Mould damage may be covered but only if it was caused by a leak that grew due to a storm. If your house has built up mould, make sure you get it cleaned professionally. Amateurs may cause it to spread the spores more.
Insurance companies investigate before they can give the policyholders their money for the loss. Adjusters inspect the areas where the damage occurred and they do find out if the leakage had been for over a period of time or if it had been a sudden outburst. So, it is no use lying to the insurance company. Being honest is the only option open to you.
Mould damage may be covered but only if it was caused by a leak that grew due to a storm. If your house has built up mould, make sure you get it cleaned professionally. Amateurs may cause it to spread the spores more.
Insurance companies investigate before they can give the policyholders their money for the loss. Adjusters inspect the areas where the damage occurred and they do find out if the leakage had been for over a period of time or if it had been a sudden outburst. So, it is no use lying to the insurance company. Being honest is the only option open to you.
I have a rather unusual situation with a client and a well-known preferred home insurance carrier. What do you think?
One day the insured came home and for whatever reason he leaned against the bathroom wall and it suddenly collapsed.
The sheetrock was soaked and so was the insulation inside the wall and mold and mildew was everywhere. There was a small pin-hole leak in a water pipe that obviously had been leaking for quite some time.
The insured called the insurance company to report the incident, a claim was filed and an adjustor came to look at the damage.
The claim was denied by the insurance company because the standard HO-3 homeowners' policy specifically "Excludes" a loss as the result of a water leak over an extended period of time.
If this had been a sudden erruption of a water line, a leaking dishwasher, or a leaking fill line to the ice-maker, it would have been covered. Because this leak had been "over an extended period of time" it was not covered.
So, are we to lean against all of our walls everyday just to see if we might have a water leak?
One day the insured came home and for whatever reason he leaned against the bathroom wall and it suddenly collapsed.
The sheetrock was soaked and so was the insulation inside the wall and mold and mildew was everywhere. There was a small pin-hole leak in a water pipe that obviously had been leaking for quite some time.
The insured called the insurance company to report the incident, a claim was filed and an adjustor came to look at the damage.
The claim was denied by the insurance company because the standard HO-3 homeowners' policy specifically "Excludes" a loss as the result of a water leak over an extended period of time.
If this had been a sudden erruption of a water line, a leaking dishwasher, or a leaking fill line to the ice-maker, it would have been covered. Because this leak had been "over an extended period of time" it was not covered.
So, are we to lean against all of our walls everyday just to see if we might have a water leak?
Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 08:28 am Post Subject: burst pipe insurance claim
Hello everyone,
l just recently had my kitchen refitted sometime ago and in the process discovered a burst pipe in the walls
behind the kitchen unit. This was reported to the council and the burst pipe has been fixed. The house is ex-council property.
The council plumbers who fixed the burst pipe said the leak has been in the wall for years as they could tell from
the rust on the broken pipe and damage to the walls outside.
l recently just tried to claim on the buildings insurance for all the repairs(changing the rotten doors,putting new plaster on the walls and complete tiling of kitchen and bathroom). I informed the Insurer that the council plumbers said the leak has been there for years.
The Insurer have now written back to say my claim is void as "Failure to notify the Insurer of any claim within 90 days of the occurence will void the claim".But l informed them within 3 weeks of finding out about the leak.
l don't understand how they could say this, as l only found out about the leak after removing the kitchen cabinet and sink which was sitting in front of the wall where the leak was buried deep inside the wall.
Was l wrong to tell the Insurer that the council plumbers said the leak has been there for sometime
Please l would like advise and comments,
Thanks all
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 09:13 pm Post Subject:
A long term leaking pipe is not the responsibility of the insurance company. It is a property-owner's maintenance issue. The insurance company is responsible in the event of sudden rupture or tearing apart of water lines. That's the reason for your claims denial.
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 09:22 pm Post Subject: Sagging ceiling
I have a HO 07-A policy will this coverage apply to a pipe that is leaking somewhere in my bathroom and is causing a bubble to form in the ceiling in my kitchen I can,t call a plumber because I don,t have any available funds.
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 09:19 pm Post Subject: yYHDvNMQhxfIz
About3354.. Bully :)
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 06:40 am Post Subject:
I have a HO 07-
HO-7 is for mobile homes. Your bathroom leak is causing a problem in the kitchen?
Even if your policy would cover the leak, the fact that you know it exists and are not doing anything to stop it will result in the claim being denied as a violation of the terms and conditions of your coverage.
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 07:24 pm Post Subject: TOILET LEAKAGE
UPSTAIRS BATHROOM TOLIET LEAKS OVER PERIOD OF TIME NOT VISIBLE NAKE EYE UNDERNEATH FLOOR UPSTAIRS. AGENT REPORTING MAINTANCE DO UNDERSTAND HOW MAINTENCE NOT VISIBLE CAN BE MY
RESPONSIBLITY. PLEASE REPLY.
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 05:21 am Post Subject:
It's not a matter of "responsibility" -- it's a matter of the definition of "water damage" as far as your policy is concerned.
To be covered by insurance, the water damage must be due to the sudden, unexpected discharge of water -- as in a burst pipe, broken hose, or similar occurrence (as in your child decides to take a bath, starts to fill the tub, and then forgets that the water is running while she spends the next two hours talking -- er, texting -- to a friend on the phone). A persistent leak over time does not fit this definition, and the resulting damage, which has also been occurring over time is not covered.
An unresolved persistent leak is EXPECTED to cause damage. Insurance is not for the EXPECTED things in life , it is for the UNEXPECTED (other than coverage for death in a life insurance policy -- it should really be called death insurance, but then no one would want it).
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 04:58 pm Post Subject:
I had no insurance and my waterheater broke and damage the apt on second floor, owner of second floor had insurance, how will the insurance calculate my payment will they go with the highest estimate.
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 06:04 pm Post Subject:
It doesn't matter how the insurance company calculates the loss, the damages are fully your responsibility. It would be up to you to disprove the value of the loss.
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2011 01:59 am Post Subject: New home with leaking pipe.
I bought my house the very beginning of this year and noticed around February/March that my downstairs half bath had a water stain that soaked through from the ceiling down to the wood floor which warped the floor boards. I also had a puddle of water in the basement as a result of this same leak. The upstairs master bath had a constant drip from the bathtub pipe. Apparently the "O" ring had a crack in it. The plumber came immediately and fixed the ring. Finally, after a few months, the plumber's insurance adjuster came out and looked everything over. He claimed the floor boards needed to be sanded, stained and finished throughout the entire downstairs because "continuous" floor plan we have. He said that it looked like the walls and ceiling will need to be spot sealed, primed and painted. The insurance company agreed with the adjuster and emailed me the claim covering everything I had just written plus a little more to remove appliances, toilets, sinks, etc... My concern is the hidden damage that a three month dripping leak may have caused. I am concerned about the water damage on the inside of the ceiling, wall and in between the floor boards and plywood that may be wet. It seems that the insurance is covering the costs to "cover up" any and all damage that is noticeable to the eye, but what about the rest??? I expressed my concern about mold and mildew to the insurance company and they flat out told me that mold and mildew is not covered under the insurance. They also told me not to be concerned because the adjuster didn't think that there would be an issue of mold and mildew with a leak of this nature. What should I do? What are my rights? Should I get my lawyer involved? I am asking these important questions because my house is still under the one year warranty and I just want it to get repaired correctly the first time and not just covered up. I would feel much better knowing the damaged wall, ceiling and floors were replaced to eliminate any chance of mold and mildew in the future.
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