Damage from water in your home can be one of the most aggravating and confusing things to afflict homeowners. This aggravation is due, in part, to the damage that water can do to a home. Water is quick to spread and can sometimes be hidden from view and by the time homeowners realize what they are dealing with the damage has already been done but. In this guide, Flood Solutions SD hopes to help mitigate some of the cost and hassle of repair by informing you of what your homeowner’s insurance will cover when water is involved.
Let’s start with the good news.
Most homeowner’s insurance policies cover damage that is deemed sudden and accidental. So what does that mean? Sudden and accidental water is damage that comes from things like burst or faulty plumbing. The overflow of plumbing fixtures (washing machine, water heater, dishwasher, toilet, faucet etc) is also covered as long as the overflow was the cause of an accident.
Additionally, roof issues that result in water damaging the inside of your home are more often than not also covered, but we have seen that there are stipulations to coverage in this type of damage. We recommend contacting your insurance provider to get more details about your policy.
Luckily, that’s quite a bit of damage that homeowner’s insurance might cover. Even luckier is the fact that most of those who will be reading this live in San Diego and surrounding cities. Why is this lucky? Other than living in America’s Finest City, most insurance policies do not cover flooding and as most Southern Californians already know, we don’t get a lot of flooding in our area. Flooding as an omission of coverage in your policy is a nice tidbit to hang on to. However, flooding happens in more ways than a deluge of water barreling down the street. Flooding also occurs when groundwater levels rise and while this normally affects homes with basements (not found in typical San Diego homes) it can also affect homes with foundational issues.
What do I do if I am dealing with Water?
Perhaps you’re in the depths of water while you’re reading this, or perhaps you are preparing ahead and creating a checklist should you experience damage from water. Here are 3 steps to take immediately upon experiencing flooding.
- Report and Document the Damage – When dealing with any water leak/damage you should do your best to document the damage. You should also contact your homeowner’s insurance provider to report the damage immediately upon its discovery. Should water start to cause further damage it is smart to also document this and give a detailed account of how the water spread.
- Determine if you are Covered – Your homeowner’s insurance provider is bound to ask you lots of questions about your claim. This is done in order to determine if the damage is covered by your policy.
- Schedule an Independent Estimate – Your insurance will provide you with a claims adjuster who will make give you an estimate on the settlement your policy will pay out. It is in your best interest to contact a fully licensed and bonded water restoration company. This helps you in negations on your settlement so you can get your home back to the way it should be.
Flood Solutions SD is a fully licensed and bonded contractor. Losing a piece of your home can be tough, but repairs don’t need to be. For further information about your rights and alternatives check our insurance repair bill of rights. We offer 24/7 emergency services and are here for you whenever you may need us.