Claims coverage: Does my homeowner’s insurance cover water/sewer backup damage?

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Picture it: You are listening to a wild storm. The rain is pouring, the wind is wailing. Lighting. Thunder. Then, it occurs to you. You hear something else. There is water or sewage coming into your basement. Am I covered under my homeowner’s insurance?

It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. Water and sewage backing up into your basement. It can happen at any time and it’s nearly always devastating and a giant headache. It can also cost you thousands to clean up, repair and replace.

And the worst thing is, if you don’t have coverage, your homeowner’s insurance might not cover it.

The good news is, there is something you can do. Your insurance agent can provide you with coverage that will ensure you are protected for water and sewer backup damage. It’s usually an extra policy under your homeowner’s insurance and will protect you if your drains back up or your sump pump fails.

Typically, it covers any damage to your home caused by water or sewage backing up into your basement, any property loss and also any mold or other issues that arise from water or sewage backing up. The cause of water and sewer backups could be heavy rains, roots or vines compromising pipes in your yard or your sump pump failing.

The fact is, most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover this. You need it to be added on to your policy. The cost to add it is low (like usually less than a few hundred dollars a year), but the average cost to fix water damage is in the thousands.

Every homeowner should have this on their homeowner’s insurance policy, as these backups are common and costly. It is one of the most common claims.

Crumrine Financial Services

At Crumrine Financial Services, we want to protect your property and belongings. If you are considering adding to your homeowner’s insurance to protect against water and sewer backups, request a quote today so we can help you make the best decision for your family.