Is Plumbing Covered By Home Insurance?

A plumbing issue can completely destroy your home. Therefore, it isn’t all that surprising that a lot of people wonder whether plumbing is covered by home insurance. The answer? It depends on what the plumbing issue actually is. A burst pipe will almost certainly be covered under home insurance. However, a problem that develops slowly, not so much.

Let’s answer this in a bit more depth for you. This way you will have a rough idea of when you are covered, as well as what is covered if you have a plumbing issue in your home.

The information that we are going to give here is ‘general’ information. It is important that you always read the terms of the home insurance policy that you have. Policies can differ between insurance companies and the amount that you are paying each month.

In some cases, you may find that there is no plumbing coverage under the policy that you hold or, if you do have plumbing coverage, the coverage is so limited that it is effectively worthless. Thankfully, the vast majority of insurance companies will allow you to purchase plumbing as an add-on.

Generally speaking, when plumbing is covered by your home insurance policy, it is only going to be quite limited.

This means that the plumbing coverage will only extend to sudden issues i.e. ones that were completely unexpected. For example, if you had a pipe that just suddenly exploded in your home.

However, a home insurance policy is unlikely to cover issues that slowly built up over time. For example, if you had a leak that you didn’t fix and this caused long-term damage, then you wouldn’t be covered. You are unlikely to be covered for any mold damage that occurs as a result of plumbing in your home too.

Most policies will also not cover drainage issues in your home e.g. sinks that are blocked, toilets that won’t flush, etc. Drainage coverage will likely need to be purchased as an add-on to your current policy.

Finally, you may find that any water-in pipes to your home will not be covered by your home insurance too. However, in most cases, this is something that is going to be the responsibility of your water supplier. After all, it is their job to ensure that you have water flowing into your home.

What Would Be Covered By Home Insurance If a Plumbing Issue Occurs?

Let’s say you have gone through the terms and conditions of your home insurance policy. The plumbing issue is covered by the policy. So, what inside of your home will be covered?

Well, once again, this is going to involve you digging deep into the terms and conditions of your policy. This is because the coverage can vary quite wildly.

In almost all cases, the personal property in your home will be covered. However, there will likely be a cap on the amount that the insurance company will be able to payout.

The insurance company may also cover any structural damage to your home due to the plumbing issue. They may also cover any damage that needs to happen if the issue is repaired. For example, if you have a wall that needs to be removed so a burst pipe can be fixed, then that will be covered.

In some cases, if you are not able to live in your property for a while due to the home damage, then you will be covered to live in a hotel for the duration.

You will need to check with your policy to discover whether the repair itself is going to be covered. However, with most policies, the actual repair is not covered. Just repairs to the structure, etc.

Final Word 

In most cases, only a few plumbing issues will be covered by your home insurance policy. If you want to find out exactly how much coverage you have, it is important that you read through the policy terms and conditions. Remember, it is worth knowing in advance whether a particular issue will be covered. This will allow you to purchase extra coverage just in case the worst happens.

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