It’s easy to see if your insurance policy covers your home for disasters like flood damage, but what about the flood that happens internally when you have burst pipes or blocked drains?
There is no simple answer to this question as every insurance policy varies in what it offers. Ultimately, the best way to know exactly what you are covered for is to read your policy’s fine print or to call your insurer. However, over our many years of experience as pipe relining specialists, we’ve noticed the general trend of what is and isn’t covered.
What to look for in your policy for blocked sewer drains?
Accidental Damage
Home insurance companies customarily cover the cost of repairs done by accidental damage, so this is the first place to look for information in your policy. The uncertainty about blocked drain coverage, however, comes when you begin to question what is classed as an accident.
Extreme weather, theft, vandalism, explosions, and vehicle-related incidents are all examples of events that are typically classed as accidental. Unless your policy explicitly lists blocked drains as an item covered by insurance, they often don’t consider natural corrosion and the resulting damage of drains and pipes as an accident.
The intrusion of a tree root or damage caused by excavation, however, may be included in the scope of accidental damage. This also means that if the blocked drain has been caused by a lack of maintenance and care, it likely won’t be considered accidental.
On the other hand, many policies list damage caused by accidental discharge or overflow of a water stream as an eligible event for coverage.
This means that if blocked pipes or drains cause sudden damage to the house itself, for example, an overflowing sewage pipe flooding the bathroom or kitchen, then that damage will likely be covered by the home insurance policy.
What may invalidate this coverage, however, is if it is found that the overflow was a result of the homeowner’s negligence from flushing foreign objects, neglecting regular maintenance, or leaving earlier signs of concern unattended.
That is why it’s important to contact a blocked drain specialist as soon as you become aware of signs that your sewer pipes may be blocked. Signs can include slow draining toilets, smelly drains, or cracks in the ground and walls.
In our experience, insurance companies tend to cover the cost of repairs to the house itself and your belongings. They do not, however, tend to cover the expense of calling out a plumber for cleaning, replacing or repairing blocked sewer drains and pipes.
Contents Insurance Coverage
If your blocked pipes cause extensive damage to your house and belongings, particularly in the event of bathrooms or kitchens flooding, you may additionally be eligible for a claim through your contents insurance.
Contents insurance covers the cost of replacement of items like your clothing, furniture and appliances.
Temporary Accommodation Coverage
If blocked pipes make your home uninhabitable through the detection of sewage gases or dangerous flooding, most home insurance policies include the costs of temporary accommodation.
How much you get will vary depending on the insurer, but often it will be based either on the weekly rentable value of your home, or a total of between 1 -12% of your home’s value for a maximum of 12 months.
2 Ways to avoid the insurance headache
There are two main ways you can avoid difficulty with insurance coverage over blocked drains:
- Explicitly list blocked drains in your insurance policy. Depending on your insurance provider, you may be able to choose additional items to add to your policy including plumbing and pipe blockages.
- Avoid disasters with proper maintenance. As soon as you begin to experience plumbing problems or spot the signs of a blocked drain, call an expert immediately. Don’t risk letting what could be an easy fix develop into a complicated problem.
Payment options to get you through
We know plumbing issues are often unexpected – no one plans for a blocked sewage pipe or drain in their backyard.
Not to mention that when you need emergency plumbing, sifting through the fine print of an insurance policy is the last thing on your mind. This is why we offer flexible payment options for our pipe relining services.
We offer obligation-free quotes and a fix-now-pay-later interest-free finance option.
No dig solutions to the rescue
Insured or not, nothing is appealing about having to dig up your yard to repair your sewage pipes. The time and stress incurred come at a cost to you, regardless of what your insurance company covers financially.
With our no-dig, trenchless pipe relining solutions, we can get your pipes and plumbing back up and running quickly and easily without unearthing your lawn.
If you’ve got problems with a blocked sewer pipe or drain, contact us today to get it taken care of in the simplest way possible that doesn’t involve complex excavating, digging or destroying your yard.
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