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: Mon Jun 27, 2011 07:32 am Post Subject:
My concern is the hidden damage that a three month dripping leak may have caused.
andthey flat out told me that mold and mildew is not covered under the insurance.
andWhat are my rights? Should I get my lawyer involved?
andI would feel much better knowing the damaged wall, ceiling and floors were replaced to eliminate any chance of mold and mildew in the future.
Have you even read your contract? Is it homeowner's insurance or a home warranty?
Your plumber's insurance company is not responsible for damage that results from a leaky pipe unless due to the plumber's negligence. Your homeowner's insurance (or home warranty) most likely excludes mold as a covered loss -- those claims have generally NOT been covered by insurance for more than 15 years.
You have the right to make whatever kind of repair will make you happy. If you don't have enough money from the insurance company, then you will have to pay for the repairs you want with your own money. That's one of the joys of homeownership.
We would all "feel better" using insurance company money to pay for things we wanted, but insurance companies only pay for things covered by their contracts. In that regard, homeowner's is not different than health insurance when it comes to elective cosmetic surgery.
Obviously, you won't know what damage lurks behind the wallboard unless you remove the wallboard. Homeowner's insurance will pay for the repairs if the damage was caused by the sudden and unexpected bursting of a pipe, but not the effect of a persistent leak, which is a maintenance issue. But if the issue behind the leak was solved, the rest of the damage, if not covered, is like the cosmetic surgery. You can have all you want done on your own dime.
A home warranty may provide slightly different coverage, but it, too, will probably not cover mold remediation unless it is due to a catastrophic failure.
Until you've taken 10-30 minutes to read your insurance contract, involving an attorney at this point is a waste of time and money. After you've read your contract, if you have a different opinion compared to the insurance company's claims department, you should take it up with them first, and only if you come to an impasse would you want to consider involving an attorney. But not if it's clear in the contract that your damages are not covered.
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 07:23 pm Post Subject: leaking pipe behind cistern
I noticed a leaking pipe behind the cistern in my main bathroom. However it may have been present for a couple of days since it had caused damage to the underlying ceiling and soaked my boiler in the uttility room. My property is nearly 4y old and when I called out the plumber he said the leak was possibly due to the pipe not put together properly in the first place when the home was built. Would the damage from the leak be covered by my home insurance?
Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:29 am Post Subject:
Iit might possibly be covered by homeowner's -- but not the repairs to the leaking pipe. But, if your home is only 4 years old, it may be governed under state contractor's laws.
Here in California, a contractor must stand behind his work for 10 years. If the pipes were not soldered correctly, it would be his responsibility to make the repairs and cover other damage. His commercial liability policy will pay the claim in such a case.
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 08:49 pm Post Subject: Central AC
Our central air broke (in the ceiling) and caused major damage to the master bedroom ceiling. Is the repair of the CA or the leak in the bedroom covered by a homeowners policy? Thank you in advance.
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 03:18 am Post Subject:
It is probably covered. Contact your insurance company.
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:42 am Post Subject: water damage
I recently was denied a claim because of no flood insurance but yet it isnt a flood. We had the worst storm in history in illinois. Water inside my window well bust the window because of pressure and came into my basement and caused waterdamage....statefarm wouldnt even send an adjuster out...im so sad.
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 04:25 am Post Subject: unseen water leak in wall
do any insurance companies help if a leak occurs from bathroom or kitchen pipes or gaskets and one doesn't know it until there is water on the floor? Bought house 4 yrs ago in AZ...it was inspected, just had turns replaced, but gasket broke under stool. Being denied coverage. Need insurance company that covers such unforeseen items. Insurance company denying is State Farm in Arizona.
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 05:51 pm Post Subject:
"Maintenance" issues are never covered by insurance. What is covered is sudden bursting of pipe, fixtures, etc.
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 04:43 pm Post Subject:
We have had multiple heavy storms with rain falling at a rate of multiple inches per hour lately and winds of 70-80mph! We have had rain coming in through what we thought was our window, but have since checked with our window installer yesterday and it's not an issue with the window.
It's an issue with our siding, which is aluminum and we believe, still original (20 years old). We just moved into the house 4 months ago and this started happening recently, so it wasn't an issue that seemed to happen previously. We have identified that there is active water in the wall on that side of the house due to water getting behind the siding.
Is this a situation we can put in a claim for since it's a much larger issue than we thought (i.e. b/c it's siding related) and was due to recent heavy storms? We had our pipes, etc checked with an infrared camera and the water is not related to a pipe issue for sure.
Thanks!
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:04 pm Post Subject:
If the siding is 20 years old, it is most likely a maintenance issue and will not be covered by insurance. If the wind had ripped the siding from the house, allowing the rain to intrude, that might be a different story.
Call your insurance company. The worst that can happen is they tell you, "No. It's a maintenance issue, and it's not covered." The best possible outcome is they pay for the damage.
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