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Insurance Coverage For Sewer Backup Damage

By Devon Monache


When a sewer backup occurs inside a home, it creates a very filthy and disgusting situation. There are a variety of reasons that a sewer backup can happen, from a major snow melt to an unusually high rainfall. The extra water in the pipes starts to back up, and it flows the opposite direction into your home and onto your floor. The damages that can be caused by sewage water in the home is a health risk, and obviously can damage your home quite severely. Immediate cleanup is required, and can be very expensive. The best way to protect yourself from the financial implications of a sewer backup in your home is to get extra insurance in case of this problem, and to take some actions to prevent it.

Fortunately, sometimes the waste water flows into your tub or sink and that prevents it from going on the floor, however if it is backing up into the toilet, it overflows quickly since it is full of water already. The bacteria laden water can get all over your home, and it can also damage your furniture or other possessions.

Sewer backup is usually excluded from the list of insurable damages in traditional insurance company policies. It can usually be added to the policy with a rider, which comes at a higher premium rate. Sewer backup is common in some areas that have regular flooding, so in these places, insurance companies offer only an extremely limited amount of coverage for these damages. This limit may or may not be sufficient to cover the cleanup, let alone the replacement of damaged goods. Carpeting needs to be replaced after, and many times, new drywall will also need to be put in. If the basement is significantly affected, the potentially valuable property down there could be expensive to replace.

If a sewer backs up, causing waste water to enter your home, sewer backup insurance is designed to cover the cleanup. When the policy you hold deals with losses using a replacement cost calculation, damaged property will be covered as well. Other policies provide coverage on an actual cash value basis. When a policy is designed like this, property that is damaged will be covered based on the depreciated value of each item.

Most cities accept no responsibility for sewer backups. When your regular homeowners insurance fails to specifically mention sewer backup, you must purchase additional coverage in the form of an insurance rider. Depending on the risk factors in your area for backups, the price will vary. Damages that will be covered have their limits, and they will have their own deductibles, with these riders. Depending on the coverage and the insurance company, limits will vary.

The responsibility of maintaining and repairing the sewer line from the house all the way into the street is the responsibility of the homeowner, even though the majority do not even have knowledge of that fact. The property owner is responsible for maintaining the sewer line to the street or public right of way, as owner of the line, they are expected to maintain it.

As the years pass, cracks can form on the lines, they can have obstructions, or they can simply deteriorate and collapse. You may not have a clue that this kind of damage is occurring. If there is a major rainstorm or melt, the issue with the pipes will become obvious quickly.

Typically, sewer backup is not covered by a home or business insurance policy, so to be safeguarded against these unfortunate circumstances, the purchase of a rider is necessary. Take the time to make sure you are protected.




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