Central Florida Plumbing & Water Leak Detection; Insurance Industry

The last thing an Orlando home or business owner wants is to contact their insurance company because they just found a water leak. Will my insurance policy even cover the damage?

“If you’re a homeowner, water is one of the biggest threats to your house and personal belongings. Your house has an intricate network of plumbing and a burst pipe could lead to both major headaches and expensive repair bills.” According to an article in Forbes Advisor. 

What Type of Water Damage is Not Covered by Homeowners Insurance?

Here are some common problems that are typically not covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy:

Water damage due to lack of maintenance or negligence, such as not repairing a plumbing problem or failing to keep the heat on during freezing temperatures.

Water damage from intentional acts, like setting a fire to your home or purposely turning off the heat during the winter.

Water damage from “earth movement” like an earthquake, landslide or mudslide. For example, if your pipe burst because of an earthquake, the water damage most likely won’t be covered. If you want coverage for earthquake damage, you’ll need to buy a separate earthquake insurance policy.

Water damage due to floods, hurricanes and tsunamis. Flood damage and tsunami damage are excluded from standard home insurance policies. If you want coverage for floods, you’ll need to buy a separate flood insurance policy.

Water damage that backs up through a sewer or drain. (Unless you have purchased special coverage for this problem.)

Water damage from leaks from a swimming pool or other structures.

Water damage from seepage or leaks through a foundation.

The cost to repair or replace the source of the water damage, like fixing a broken dishwasher or washing machine.

Water damage from a sump pump failure or related equipment. You may want to consider sump and water backup coverage for those types of problems.

Check back with us next week when we go over what type of water damage is covered by insurance. Until then, contact the Leak Doctor for more information.