What is Water Backup?

Water damage is one of the most common reasons for homeowners insurance claims here in the Triad, including water backup, damaged plumbing and, although not covered by standard homeowners insurance policies, flooding. In addition to water damage being a common cause of homeowner problems, it’s also one of the most misunderstood portions of a homeowner policy as to what’s covered and what’s excluded. We’ll try to shed some light here on this sometimes confusing area.

Water Backup Defined

 

Under normal conditions, when you run a water faucet or flush a toilet in your home, the water travels down and away from the home either to a sewer pipe or septic tank. If something happens that causes the water to stop flowing, usually involving some type of blockage, it will cause a water backup. The water that’s supposed to run down the drain has been prevented from doing so and, instead, travels back up through the drain and into your home. Often, this water will cause damage to the building structure and/or the personal belongings located therein.

As long as the water that has backed up into your home originated on your home’s premises, it’s likely covered by your standard homeowner insurance policy. Examples of this include:

• The drain for your sink, toilet or shower becomes obstructed and the water overflows onto the floor

• Your house drain becomes obstructed by a tree root out in the yard and the blockage causes water to back up through a toilet or an inside drain 

Many insurance companies offer optional, expanded coverage called Water Back Up & Sump Pump Overflow coverage as an endorsement on your standard policy. Suppose you have a sump pump in your basement designed to remove sub-surface water accumulation from around your home’s foundation and this pump becomes overwhelmed by the volume of water it is having to deal with. If the water backs up into your basement, this optional coverage may help pay for the losses incurred. If a sewer backup from the city’s pipe out in the street becomes obstructed and causes water to overflow through your household drains, this should also be covered.

Water that comes into your home and causes damage will generally not be covered in your standard policy if it originates from anywhere outside the home. This includes flood water or any other water coming in from outside the home, including surface or sub-surface water.