Water Damage – Covered by Insurance?

Before purchasing Homeowner’s Insurance, it’s important to be an informed and well-read consumer as certain types of damage, such as water damage from storm flooding, are not typically not covered by standard homeowner’s insurance. It is also equally as important for homeowners whom have just suffered any form of property damage to review their policy, and consult a Florida State Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, to ensure that their policy provides coverage for the sustained loss.

Most consumers assume everything that could happen to their home, including flooding and water damage, is covered by a standard homeowner’s insurance policy. While coverage varies from company to company, generally speaking, there are certain higher end policies that may cover more than “budget oriented” policies. Typically, the broader and more in depth the policy is, the more coverage it insures. However, that does not usually extend to water damage caused by natural flooding, so it’s critical that consumers ask what is covered, what is not and how to get coverage that meets their needs.

Whether water damage is covered is very often dependent on the cause of the damage, and which peril originally triggered the loss event. Flooding and water damage caused by pipe bursts, for example, are usually covered as long as the burst isn’t caused by neglect. However, flooding caused by natural disasters such as Super Storm Sandy are not. When faced with these types of losses, it is always best to consult a licensed Florida Public Insurance Adjuster, to ensure that a covered loss is not erroneously denied due to assumptions made by your Insurance Company’s desk adjuster. A Public Adjuster would inspect your property, review your policy language and conduct an analysis of the loss event to support the claim being classified as a covered peril.  

When reviewing your homeowner’s insurance policy, get clarification about what exactly is covered by your policy when it comes to water damage and what is not. It’s also critical to get separate federal flood insurance coverage, if applicable, so that you are covered in the event of a natural disaster. Many homeowners caught in Sandy’s path learned the hard way that assuming you have coverage for water damage can literally cost you your home. It is always a good idea to discuss your specific coverage with your Agent or Broker, and if you have already sustained property damage, your licensed public adjuster can always review your policy and clarify your coverage limits for you. Additionally, due to the complex nature of policy language interpretation, as well as the cause and origin of certain perils, a Public Adjuster can often conclude that a “covered event” occurred first, allowing secondary damages to also be covered under your policy.

Advocate Claims Public Adjusters, can help you during the entire insurance claim process, working on your behalf. If you have recently suffered water damage and need to file an insurance claim, or if your recent water damage claim has been denied, call 954-369-0573 today. Our public adjusters can help interpret your policy language, confirm coverage, and maximize your settlement on your behalf, representing your interests.