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Water Backup Coverage
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Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
It depends. Most basic home insurance policies have limited coverage for water damage. As a homeowner, it's important to understand exactly what you're covered for in case of water damage.
Generally speaking, water damage may be covered under your home insurance policy if the damage is “sudden and accidental.” For example, damage from a frozen pipe bursting or a roof leak from a fallen tree may be covered if you've kept your home in a good state of repair.
Water damage caused from lack of maintenance is generally not covered by home insurance. This includes things like leaks from aging roofs, gradual damage from leaky faucets, and mold or rot from lack of addressing moisture issues.
Basic home insurance also generally doesn't cover water damage caused by sewers and sump pumps — unless you add an optional coverage, known as Water Backup coverage (or “Water Backup and Overflow” coverage in some states).
What is Water Backup coverage?
Water Backup, also referred to as “sewer and sump pump overflow,” or “escape of water” coverage, is an optional coverage homeowners can add to their policies to help cover the cost of water damage caused by drain and sewer backups, sump pump failures, or plumbing appliances (like dishwashers and washing machines).1,2
You can literally think of this as water “escaping” from plumbing like a pipe or sewer into your home (vs. water coming in from outside your home, like from a flood, which would be covered under separate flood insurance).
What does Water Backup cover?
Water Backup may help cover water damage caused by:
- Drain and sewer backups
- Plumbing appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters
- Sump pumps and other systems designed to remove water from the foundation of your home — even if the damage is due to a mechanical breakdown
To give an example, let's say the sump pump in your basement malfunctions and causes damage to the carpet and washing machine. Water Backup will help cover the cost of replacing the carpet and washing machine but not the sump pump or other equipment that contributed to the damage.
What doesn't Water Backup cover?
Water Backup does not cover:
- Repairs from normal wear and tear of pipes, plumbing, and sump pump equipment
- Water damage caused from water outside the home, such as from pools or bodies of water like the ocean
- Flood damage
Does Water Backup cover floods?
No. Our Water Backup coverage does not cover damage from floods. Homeowners will need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy for coverage.
Do I need Water Backup coverage?
Water Backup is one of the most popular add-on coverages among our home insurance policyholders.
Water damage associated with plumbing can be costly and unpredictable. Water Backup coverage can help protect you, your home, and your assets.
How do I get Water Backup coverage?
Water Backup is one of the most popular add-on coverages among our home insurance policyholders.
Liberty Mutual customers can contact us to add this coverage to their existing policy.