When water makes its way into your basement, it can be a massive headache that’s made worse when you have to file a claim with your homeowner’s insurance. Unfortunately, in many cases, homeowner’s insurance may not cover water damage in basements, depending on how that water made it into your basement. At Tom’s Basement Waterproofing, we are all too familiar with the struggles homeowners face when trying to get coverage for basement water damage, and have prepared this article to help answer some of your questions. We’ll take a closer look at basement water damage, homeowner’s insurance, and how you can prevent yourself from ending up in this frustrating situation.
Sudden Water Damage Versus Gradual Water Damage and Why It Matters for Homeowners Insurance Claims
One of the most important factors that homeowner’s insurance providers will consider when looking at a claim for basement water damage is the type of water damage in your basement. Sudden water damage caused by a broken pipe will often be covered by many homeowner’s insurance policies, while water damage from gradual intrusion likely will not. If your basement is prone to leaks and condensation from pre-existing structural damage, the majority of homeowner’s insurance providers will not automatically cover the cost of repairs. This makes delaying repairs especially risky, as you likely won’t be covered if you experience a major water intrusion in your basement.
Water Damage Caused by a Failed Sump Pump
Another common question our team gets about water damage and homeowner’s insurance coverage regards sump pumps that fail during a storm. Sump pumps automatically pump water out of your basement when water enters, and if they fail during a major storm, it can become a disaster. Unfortunately, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services states that water and sewer backups are not automatically covered by homeowner’s insurance policies in most cases. While some providers may allow you to purchase this type of coverage, you’ll need to ensure that your sump pump is regularly maintained, as coverage may be denied if it’s found that lack of maintenance caused the sump pump to fail. If you do know for a fact that you have this type of coverage in your policy, you should have your sump pump regularly serviced and inspected to ensure your claim won’t be denied if your sump pump does fail.
Basement Water Damage Caused by Flooding
Flooding is one of the other common causes of basement water damage, and sadly it is often not covered by standard homeowner’s insurance policies. Homeowners looking to protect against flood damage will need to purchase additional flood coverage and carefully review their policy to see how they are covered for basement water damage.
Prevention is the Best Defense Against Basement Water Damage
While it may come as a shock to many homeowners that their insurance doesn’t cover as much as they expect in terms of basement water damage, you can greatly reduce the chances of basement water damage with a little help from Tom’s Basement Waterproofing. Our team can inspect your basement and provide you with affordable repair options at the first sign of water intrusion, helping you keep your home’s basement safe and dry year-round. To get started, give our team a call today to schedule a free basement inspection.
Protect Your Basement From Water Damage With Tom’s Basement Waterproofing!
While dealing with insurance companies can be a pain, Tom’s Basement Waterproofing makes it easy, affordable, and convenient to protect your home with our foundation repair and basement waterproofing services. To get started, give our licensed and insured waterproofing providers a call today at (586) 949-7826.