You’re in your yard, and you observe water gathering near your home’s foundation. Your drainage system has failed, and you are wondering whether your house insurance will cover it. This is a question that gets asked more frequently than you might think.
Generally, home insurance will cover drain pipes if the damage occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. However, whether you are covered depends on the cause of the problem and the location of the pipes. Typically, your insurance policy covers pipes within the walls and foundation of your home. Pipes located outside often pose a difficult issue.
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What Drain Pipe Damage Does Home Insurance Cover?
Your homeowners’ insurance will cover the drain pipes if sudden, specific events cause damage. For instance, pipes bursting due to freezing temperatures or a tree root coming through the sewer line might be covered.
Here are some of the situations covered by the majority of standard policies:
The main type of damage covered is sudden, accidental damage. For instance, if a pipe bursts without prior warning or cracks due to an unforeseen event, the insurance company will most likely agree to pay for the repairs. Such damage includes that caused by frozen pipes during winter storms.
Incidents of vandalism and theft are also considered situations for which the insurance company would provide coverage. If someone intentionally damages your drainage system or steals copper pipes from your property, the insurance policy should cover the repair costs.
Damage to drain pipes resulting from fire and lightning is fully covered. You can claim the insurance when flames or electrical shocks damage your plumbing system.
Damages caused by vehicles or aircraft could be considered uncommon, but they happen more often than you might think. If a car accident on your property causes the breaking of underground pipes, it is a situation covered by your insurance policy.
Does Home Insurance Cover Drain Pipes Outside Your Home?
The outside drain pipes are another matter. In general, it all depends on whether or not the damage is within your “property” area and what your contract mentions.
Most policies seem to set the property line as a limit. The pipes that go under your yard and connect the house to the street can get some coverage. But the moment the pipes extend into a public area, you have to take care of them without insurance coverage.
Some insurance companies provide sewer and drain backup coverage as an option. The additional cost usually varies from $40 to $250 a year. It is a kind of protection against damage caused by the sewage backing up into your house through the drains.
Your main sewer line that connects to the city’s system is generally at your own expense. You can have these lines only with very specific sewer line coverage. Approximately 37% of homeowners are unaware that external sewer lines must be separately covered.
You may also read: Does Home Insurance Cover Flooding?
What Drain Pipe Problems Won’t Your Insurance Cover?
The first thing that prevents you from having a bad experience is understanding the cases when the insurance doesn’t cover the damage.
At the top of the list of excluded items is the deterioration of pipes due to regular usage. Damage resulting from the slow corrosion of your pipes over a period of several years is not a reason for a claim to be paid. What insurers want is for you to properly maintain your plumbing system.
Most claims will be rejected because maintenance hasn’t been done. If you had signs such as slow drains or leaks here and there and kept on ignoring them, you would most probably have your claim refused. Regularly checking your system is significant.
Tree roots getting into your pipes can be difficult to detect. If the roots have gradually infiltrated the pipe over time, then this is the result of maintenance neglect. But if storm damage to roots that fell into a pipe occurred, then that unexpected loss can indeed be covered.
Old structures have no warranty. What if your very old cast-iron pipes finally broke? That means they are worn out due to normal use. You will have to pay the contractor out of your own pocket.
In the US, the cost to repair or replace drain pipes typically ranges from $200 to $5,000. And completely replacing damaged sewer lines may cost over $20,000. These are some of the reasons why it is so important to sort out your level of protection.
How Can You Tell If Damage Is Covered?
You have to understand the difference between sudden damage and gradual problems to determine the outcome of your claim.
Think about the time aspect. Is the problem the one that appeared suddenly or the one that developed over time? Sudden problems are covered, while gradual ones aren’t.
Have a look at any signs of neglect that you might have overlooked. Membrane leaks turning into huge leaks are the most negligent. But if a pipe suddenly tears without any previous issues, it is a case of sudden damage.
If you had drainage issues in a home that was inspected by experts years ago and never fixed, you will have a difficult time getting your claim approved. This kind of evidence indicates you knew the problem and chose not to fix it.
Photo documentation of the damage is a good idea from the point you find it. Take pictures of each stage of the destruction, and before you do any repair work. The insurance company will be able to understand your position better.
What Additional Coverages Should You Look at?
Your typical home insurance policy leaves gaps in coverage for drainpipes. Those who are wise add these coverage options.
Sewer backup coverage protects you when drains in your house overflow. That occurs more frequently in the older neighborhoods where the public sewer systems are aging. The coverage costs about $50 per year, but it can be a real saver on expenses after the cleaning.
Service line coverage is one of the lines of defense that you extend when you decide to cover your underground utilities, including water and sewer pipes. This insurance is intended to cover the pipes extending from your house up to the connection point with the city services. You can expect a yearly premium of $100 to $200.
Equipment breakdown insurance is the one that gives you mechanical failure protection charges. What is more, your failure of the sump pump, which results in a drain backup, is recognized under this coverage. As a result, your coverage will contribute to the damages caused by the backup.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners revealed that less than 18% of homeowners have sewer backup coverage. On top of that, sewer backups result in an average damage of $6,000 per incident.
Final Thoughts
It is clear from your reading that whether home insurance covers drain pipes depends on the nature and extent of the damage. A typical policy covers sudden or accidental damage to pipes within the house’s structure. Normally, the external pipes and wear and tear are not included.
Take a moment to check your home insurance policy now. See if there are any holes in your drain pipe coverage. Talk to your insurance agent about the possibility of adding sewer backup and service line coverage.
Get a professional plumber to check your pipes this month. Prevention is cheaper than repair.
Make sure you take pictures of your plumbing system and the drain access points. Such evidence will be very helpful while making a claim, and it will also serve as a reminder of the locations of the systems when you are faced with an emergency.
