Are Broken Pipes Covered by Insurance?

8/15/2018 (Permalink)

Drying mats on a hardwood floor in a Smith Grove, KY home

Whenever a disaster strikes your Smith Grove, KY, home, your mind may stray straight to the finances. After all, a flood can cost you a lot of money in repairs and restoration costs and that's a scary prospect. If a broken pipe caused your home to fill with water, will your insurance help pay for the damages? Your residential water cleanup crew may not be able to give you a straight answer because it all depends on the policies you have.

Normal Wear and Tear

Plumbing can take a beating in any home. If you have multiple people living in your house, the plumbing has to deal with even more use. Because of the normal wear and tear that affects the piping, many companies offer an insurance coverage that can help protect you against flooding caused by broken pipes. A regular homeowner's policy, however, may not cut it. You may need to add extra policies, including the following:

• All-perils
• Umbrella
• Flood

With one of these extra policies, you may be able to breathe a sigh of relief even if your home is filled with waters from a plumbing accident. Be sure to talk with your insurance provider to find out what type of coverage you need.

Negligence

Sometimes there are plenty of warnings that you need to fix a broken pipe. If you have a perpetual leak you ignore, for example, your insurance company may be able to cite this negligence as a reason for denying your claim. Other carelessness that could leave you completely liable for the damages regardless of the policies you hold include lack of heat in cold climates or purposefully putting foreign objects in the pipes.

Every homeowner's policy may be slightly different when it comes to flood protection. Some policies may cover the subsequent damage, such as destroyed flooring, ruined walls and damaged furnishings, of a broken pipe while others may not provide this protection.