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Sump Pump Failure and Water Backup Insurance: Are You Covered?

By December 14, 2015June 9th, 2020Home Insurance, Homeowners Insurance

Water-Backup

What would you do if your sewer backed up into your house or your sump pump failed?

Many homeowners believe that they would file an insurance claim against their homeowner’s policy. After all, the policy covers damage from water, right? Not always.  

Water backup of sewers and drains is not treated as the same type of loss as a burst pipe. In fact, most of the time, it is not part of your homeowners coverage.  Although discouraging to most homeowners, there is good news – you can usually add coverage to protect yourself for additional coverage.

Certain types of damage are not automatically covered by your homeowner’s policy. Knowing how your house is at risk is the first step in understanding whether you’re protected.

How Water Backup and Sump Pump Failure Hurts Your House

Sometimes, water will back up through your sewers or drains. When this happens, your floors flood, causing significant damage.

When we have heavy rains in Missouri, it’s possible for your basement’s drain to back up and cause water damage in your house. This is especially true if you have a finished basement that you use as living space.  Even if you use your lower level for storage, water can have a devastating impact on your home, memories, and property.

If your sump pump fails, this same type of damage could occur in your house. Another example of common sump pump failure damages include having your drainage system back up while you’re doing a load of laundry. When that happens, you could be faced with a large bill to fix the destruction.

Are You Covered?

Most homeowners are surprised to learn that water backup and sump pump failure insurance are not automatically included in a homeowner’s policy. You must purchase the additional endorsement if you want to be covered in these circumstances.

The good part about this is that you have flexibility in your coverage. You can purchase a low-level limit of $5,000, a high level limit of $50,000 of another dollar amount in between. This coverage varies depending on your needs so you never pay for more than necessary.

Not sure if you’re covered?

Talk to your insurance agent today to have your policy reviewed for water backup and sump pump failure insurance inclusions. If it’s not listed, you might want to consider adding this valuable coverage on before it’s too late.