Nerdy takeaways
- Homeowners insurance will generally pay for damage due to sudden, accidental plumbing issues.
- Standard home insurance typically does not cover damage caused by sump pump failure, flooding or negligence.
- Add-ons like water backup and equipment breakdown coverage can help fill gaps in standard home insurance policies.
If something goes wrong in your plumbing system, you could find yourself with a soggy, expensive mess to clean up. You can turn to your homeowners insurance company for help — but whether it’ll pay for the damage depends on what caused it. Here’s what you need to know about home insurance and plumbing.
When does homeowners insurance cover plumbing damage?
Homeowners insurance will generally pay for damage due to sudden, accidental plumbing issues. Here are a few scenarios that a standard homeowners policy usually covers.
Burst pipes and frozen plumbing
You wake up after a frigid winter night to discover a sopping-wet basement. A pipe burst in the cold, and there’s water everywhere.
- What’s covered: Most homeowners policies will pay to repair damaged drywall and replace ruined carpets.
- What’s not covered: Most policies won’t cover the cost of repairing or replacing the pipe.
- When you could be denied: Your insurer may not pay your claim if you could’ve done more to prevent the burst pipe. For example, if you go out of town and don’t leave the heat on, your insurer might attribute the damage to negligence. Most insurers recommend keeping your thermostat at 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Appliance leaks
One of your appliances springs a leak, sending soapy water all over your house and to the basement below.
- What’s covered: Your homeowners policy probably would cover the cleanup as long as the leak was sudden and unexpected. This includes leaking dishwashers, washing machines, water heaters, refrigerators and air conditioning units.
- What’s not covered: Your policy won’t cover the replacement or repair of the broken appliance.
- How to add coverage: If you want coverage for the appliance itself, consider equipment breakdown insurance. It’s a common add-on to a homeowners policy that will pay for mechanical or electrical failures of major appliances. This includes heating and cooling systems.
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Answer a few questions to see custom quotes and find the right policy for you. Overflowing toilets, bathtubs and sinks
You’re relaxing on the couch when water starts dripping on your head from the ceiling. You run upstairs to discover that one of your kids left the bathtub running, and it’s been overflowing for the past 20 minutes.
- What’s covered: Your homeowners policy will most likely cover damage from sudden, accidental overflows.
- What’s not covered: Standard insurance will most likely not pay for any plumbing labor costs to clear a routine clog.
- When you could be denied: If the overflow occurs because of a blocked drain or pipe, and the blockage is in a public sewer system rather than on your property, your insurer typically won’t cover it unless you’ve added water backup coverage to your policy.
Plumbing leaks under slab or behind walls
You start noticing strange sounds in your plumbing, and one day, you spot some water damage. You’re pretty sure you’ve got a broken pipe or plumbing leak, but where? You might have to tear out drywall or flooring to find it. Reaching the problem ends up costing more than fixing it.
- What’s covered: The costs associated with accessing the leak are generally covered for sudden leaks caused by an event your policy covers, along with the resulting water damage.
- What’s not covered: Repair of the pipe itself.
A massive storm blows through one night and knocks a tree onto your house, damaging your plumbing. Or maybe a kitchen fire melts the plastic pipes under your sink.
- What’s covered: Your policy’s dwelling coverage may pay to repair both the resulting damage and broken pipes. The pipe damage must be directly caused by a sudden, covered event.
- What’s not covered: Water damage caused by external floods, even if the flooding occurred due to a storm.
Which plumbing problems aren’t covered by home insurance?
All insurance policies have things they won’t cover. Here are a few common ones, along with how you might be able to add extra coverage.
Sewer backups and sump pump failure
Many homeowners policies won’t pay for damage if your sewer system backs up or your sump pump breaks down.
How to get coverage
- Water backup coverage: If you want help dealing with these claims, ask your insurer about adding water backup coverage to your policy. Note that water backup coverage won’t pay the cost of replacing a broken sump pump — it’ll pay only for the damage that resulted from the failure.
- Equipment breakdown coverage: Consider adding equipment breakdown coverage if you want your insurer to pay for failing appliances such as sump pumps.
Flooding
When it comes to insurance, flooding generally refers to water that enters your home from sources like an overflowing river, a tidal surge or heavy rain that the ground can’t absorb fast enough. Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. If a flood damages your plumbing by washing soil or debris into your pipes, your homeowners policy likely wouldn’t pay to fix it.
How to get coverage
- Flood insurance: If you add flood coverage to your policy, your insurer will help pay for damage resulting from situations like heavy rain, storm surges and overflowing rivers.
Exterior service lines and underground pipes
Standard homeowners policies don’t usually cover damage to underground lines unless it’s caused by a sudden, accidental event. If a tree root grows and damages your plumbing, it’s considered gradual wear and tear, so your insurance likely won’t cover the damage.
How to get coverage
- Service line coverage: If you add service line coverage to your policy, it can help pay to repair broken underground pipes due to tree root invasion, among other causes.
Maintenance, slow leaks, or general wear and tear
Insurance exists to pay for sudden, accidental expenses, not for regular home maintenance. So your homeowners policy usually won’t pay for a plumber to fix a leaky faucet or replace older pipes that are starting to corrode.
Insurers expect their policyholders to properly maintain appliances and other parts of their property. If you noticed a small leak under your bathroom sink but didn’t take steps to fix it before it got worse, your insurer may deny your water damage claim due to negligence.
How does a plumbing claim get paid out?
A plumbing claim on your homeowners insurance can trigger different types of coverage depending on your situation:
- Dwelling coverage: This covers the structure of your house. Dwelling coverage helps pay for repairs to damaged floors, walls and other structures.
- Personal property: This covers your belongings inside the house. If a leak ruins your furniture, clothing or electronics, this coverage can help pay for the cost of replacing them.
- Loss of use: This covers some living expenses if your home is deemed temporarily unlivable. It can help cover costs like hotel stays, meals and transportation.
Should you file a claim for plumbing problems?
When deciding whether to file a claim, consider the type of problem and the amount of damage. If the cause of the damage was a sudden accidental event, you’re more likely to have coverage than if the problem was a slow leak or another maintenance issue. For claims you’re not sure about, your insurance agent may be able to talk through your options with you.
It may not be worth filing a claim if the damage is relatively minor. Most homeowners claims are subject to a deductible, an amount your insurer will subtract from your payout. Say you have a $1,000 deductible and your burst pipe caused $750 worth of damage. Your insurer won’t pay anything.
Because insurance companies tend to raise rates after you file a claim, you may decide to pay for smaller problems on your own.
How to prevent plumbing problems
Here are a few ways to head off plumbing issues before they cause major damage.
Check for leaks
Regularly inspect the water seals on appliances like your dishwasher, water heater, washing machine and refrigerator. This is especially important as your appliances get older and are more likely to break down.
Keep drains moving
Pipes can get clogged over time with hair, grease, food and other substances. To prevent this:
- Flush drains regularly with hot water. Baking soda and vinegar can also help break up clogs.
- Use a mesh screen to catch hair in showers and bathtubs.
- Put food and grease in the trash instead of in the kitchen sink.
- Don’t flush anything down your toilet except toilet paper and human waste.
Act quickly
Don’t ignore potential signs of a leak such as a loss of water pressure or an unexpectedly high water bill. A plumber may be able to keep a minor issue from turning into a major problem.
Turn to technology
Consider buying a smart water leak detector (or several). You can place these devices near leak-prone appliances and receive alerts on your phone if they detect water. More expensive devices can monitor your entire plumbing system and shut off the water automatically if they sense a problem.
Some homeowners insurance companies offer discounts for having these and other types of smart-home technology.
Keep pipes from freezing
When the weather gets cold, set your thermostat at a minimum of 55 degrees, even if you’re not at home. This helps keep pipes warm. Open cabinet doors under your bathroom and kitchen sinks to let heated air circulate around the pipes, and turn faucets to a slow drip. Insulating exposed pipes is also helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does homeowners insurance cover plumbing repairs?
Homeowners insurance may cover water damage from a sudden accidental plumbing problem such as a burst pipe. However, it generally won’t cover repairs to the pipe. The exception is if pipes are damaged by a fire, storm or another event your policy covers. In such cases, your policy would likely pay to repair pipes as well as other damage from the event.
Does homeowners insurance cover plumbing leaks?
If the leak is sudden and accidental, your policy may cover any resulting water damage. But it probably won’t cover the repair of the actual leak (such as your plumber’s bill or a replacement pipe). Insurance won’t cover damage from slow leaks that have developed over time.
Does homeowners insurance cover plumbing clogs?
It depends on where the clog is and whether it’s caused damage to your home. Say your shower isn’t draining properly and you need a plumber to unclog it. Homeowners insurance wouldn’t pay for the plumber because insurers consider this scenario to be routine maintenance. However, say the clog was bad enough that your shower backed up and overflowed. Your policy might pay to repair the water damage, as long as the blockage was within your own plumbing system. But it still wouldn’t pay to remove the clog.
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