WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WATER DAMAGE, SEWER BACKUP, AND FLOOD?

Water is water right? Not when it comes to insurance. Insurance covers your stuff against certain “acts” so depending on where the “water” comes from it may or may not be covered unless you request the coverage.

Water damage: Almost always an included coverage. This type of damage occurs most commonly due to pipe breaks, rain or melting ice, and even includes water damage from a fire sprinkler system discharge or the water damage caused from the fire department extinguishing a fire.

Back up through a sewer or drain: Most policies exclude this coverage though it can be added back into a policy with endorsement or by using the Special or enhanced coverages. If water or sewage backs up from a drain then the loss is not going to be viewed in the same way as water damage discussed above. The primary reason for this is because these types of losses usually occur due to factors that are beyond your control. Yet, a thirsty root systems from nearby plants have the power of mother nature and can find their ways into your drain system, restricting water flow and during heavy use could cause water to back up through the sewer drain.

Flood: No matter how high the water gets in your basement, even if it’s four feet, if its due to a pipe break its NOT a flood (it would be covered by water damage).  A flood is a very specific term defined by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), in simplest terms, as an unusual or rapid accumulation or inundation of water (or mudflow) on land that is normally dry and must cover either 2 acres or effect 2 or more properties.

Flood is a standard exclusion in a property policy though even the properties not located in a “flood zone” should consider having this coverage as mother nature can be unpredictable and once it happens its too late.