Water damage is sometimes covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy, but not always. It depends on what the cause is: sudden internal water damage is covered, while damage due to lack of maintenance or neglect, as well as flood-related damage, are not.

Does property insurance cover damage to your home from natural disasters?

Homeowners insurance protects your home from fire, wind, hail, and lightning damage. Natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and wildfires may require additional coverage. If you live in an area where natural disasters are common, contact your insurance carrier about coverage.

Can you claim water damage on insurance?

Your home and contents insurance will usually cover water leaks if they’re sudden or accidental. If a water leak occurs because of gradual damage you could reasonably be expected to be aware of, it may not be covered.

Is your home insurance covered against storm damage?

Does my home insurance cover against storm damage? Yes, buildings and contents insurance policies usually cover against storm damage. Some may exclude fences, garden sheds, gates and hedges. Some may exclude anything outside the house itself, unless you have specific cover for it.

Can a homeowners insurance policy cover water damage?

Many types of water damage are covered by homeowners insurance, including damage caused by rainwater that enters your home, but that coverage is contingent on the circumstances surrounding the rain damage. Homeowners insurance will generally only cover you if the rain entered your house because of a covered peril.

Can a homeowners insurance policy cover flooding from rain?

Homeowners insurance will generally cover water damage from rain if it enters your home due to a covered peril, like if a windstorm rips a hole in your attic and rain gets in. But a standard policy won’t cover flooding.

Do you need homeowners insurance for water backup?

Your standard homeowners insurance probably won’t cover water backup from an outside sewer or drain either. However, you may be able to add optional water backup coverage to your policy. Here’s another important thing to keep in mind: Flood damage is not covered by a standard homeowners policy.