Determining If Your Flooded Basement Is Covered by Insurance

5/29/2022 (Permalink)

For a basement flood to be covered by most insurance policies, the cause of the flood must be unexpected and unpredictable.

Identifying Whether Your Flooded Basement Is Covered by Insurance

Basements are one of the most common areas where homeowners experience water damage. When you have a basement flood in Excelsior Springs, MO, you may immediately wonder if the damage is likely to be covered by your insurance policy. While every policy is different, there are some guidelines most companies follow to determine whether a flooded basement is covered by insurance.

Home Insurance Coverage

The majority of home insurance policies will cover damage that results from unexpected or unavoidable problems within your home. If a pipe suddenly bursts inside your wall, the resulting damage will most likely be covered by your insurance company. As part of your policy, insurance companies will usually cover the entire restoration process:

• Evaluation and assessment
  
• Water extraction and clean up
  
• Removal of damaged materials
  
• Industrialized blowers
  
• Restoration

Be aware that insurance does not usually cover the repair or replacement of the items that caused the problem in the first place. Although the damage caused by the burst pipe may be covered, the cost to fix the pipe may not be.

Damage Not Covered by Insurance

For a basement flood to be covered by most insurance policies, the cause of the flood must be unexpected and unpredictable. Water damage due to homeowner negligence or inaction, such as a slow leaking washing machine that eventually floods your basement, will most likely not be covered. If your insurance company considers your flood to have been preventable, the company may deny your claim.

Flood Insurance

If your flood was caused by a storm, your homeowner's policy is unlikely to cover the cost of repairs. Instead, you will need to file a separate claim against your flood insurance policy.
A basement flood can happen with little or no warning. Fortunately, as long as your home is reasonably maintained, emergencies will usually be covered by your homeowner's insurance policy.