What Will Your Homeowners Insurance Cover When a Pipe Breaks?

2/7/2022 (Permalink)

When A Pipe Bursts, What Will Your Homeowner's Insurance Cover?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell what will be covered under your homeowners insurance and what won’t. If a pipe breaks in your Collingdale, PA home, your insurance will likely cover most of the damage caused by a resulting flood, but there are some things that you may still be responsible for.

What Does the Insurance Company Consider?

When determining whether or not they will cover the damage caused by a broken pipe, there are a few things that your insurance company will consider first.

• Was the break easily preventable?
• Was the incident sudden and accidental?
• Was it the result of negligence?

If it is determined that the pipe was broken as a result of something that was your fault, you may be denied coverage for the damage even if it causes a flood. However, if it was something that you could not have done anything about, then any damage should be covered under your insurance.

What Will Your Homeowners Insurance Cover?

If it is determined that the break is not your fault, then the insurance company should cover the damage. This can include replacing affected property as well as any needed water damage repairs. Depending on the extent of the damage, this might include replacing walls, flooring, or furniture.

What Will You Need to Do?

While the insurance coverage will apply to any damage done to your property, you will more than likely be responsible for replacing the damaged pipe. Unless the pipe burst due to something other than normal wear and tear, your insurance will not cover it and you will need to fix the broken pipe yourself.

Broken pipes can cause your home to flood, so you should do whatever you can to prevent it. If you don’t and your insurance company determines that you are at fault, it can end up being quite expensive to repair. However, if you keep up with proper maintenance of your home, then any accidents should be covered.