Insurance Coverage For Sewer Backup Damage

By Devon Monache


When a sewer backup occurs inside a home, it creates a very filthy and disgusting situation. There are a variety of reasons that a sewer backup can happen, from a major snow melt to an unusually high rainfall. The waste water flows back, through the pipes, into your home. The damages that can be caused by sewage water in the home is a health risk, and obviously can damage your home quite severely. The costs of the cleanup are quite high, and it has to be done immediately. The best way to protect yourself from the financial implications of a sewer backup in your home is to get extra insurance in case of this problem, and to take some actions to prevent it.

If you're lucky, your empty tub and sink can fill with the backup sewer water without overflowing onto your floor, but your toilet is already filled with water and the extra backup water pushing up into the toilet bowl creates immediate problems. Your home can be damaged by a backup, and the waste water carries bacteria that can be dangerous to your health.

If you're insured with a traditional home insurance provider, you may discover that sewer backup is excluded from the base policy. Often it's available as a rider at an additional cost. In some areas, the risk of flooding causing sewer back up is so high, that insurers will only add sewer back up coverage in small increments, up to a specified limit. Replacing damaged property or paying for the cleanup cost may not be enough, depending on the limit on the policy. Carpeting needs to be replaced after, and many times, new drywall will also need to be put in. And think about the cost to replace all of the belongings kept in your basement.

Sewer backup insurance will protect a homeowner from the cleanup costs and damages associated when sewer waste flows into a home. If your home insurance policy settles losses on a replacement cost basis, your policy will also pay to replace your damaged property. Coverage on some kinds of policies is paid out on the cash value of the items. If that's the case, your policy will pay only the depreciated value of any damaged items.

Cities will very rarely claim responsibility for sewer backups, it's up to the homeowner. A rider must be purchased to cover the costs of damages caused by sewer backups, unless the policy states otherwise. The chance of a sewer backup in your area will be calculated, and after this, the price will be determined accordingly. Insurance riders typically limit the damage covered and also have separate deductions for damages. The limits vary with the type of policy coverage and the insurer.

Most homeowners probably don't realize that they are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their main sewer line - the pipeline that runs between their house and the municipality's sewer main, usually located underneath the street. The homeowner actually owns the sewer line underneath their home that connects to the street, so repairs and maintenance on it is their responsibility.

Sewer lines can become obstructed, they can have cracks form, or they can just wear down and collapse, due to the passage of time. The fact that the damage is there is not usually visible to the homeowner. When the line is damaged, a sudden rainfall could make the problem quite noticeable indeed.

Typically, sewer backup is not covered by a home or business insurance policy, so to be safeguarded against these unfortunate circumstances, the purchase of a rider is necessary. Do what is necessary to ensure that you are covered.




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