Water damage is one of the most pervasive and unsanitary hazards that might impact your home. That’s especially true when water damage comes from broken pipes or sewer overflows. This damage might occur underground, but it might easily cause water and waste to flood into the home. Unfortunately, your homeowners insurance might only provide limited, if any coverage. Therefore, you might need to get extended coverage endorsements to cover these items. Here’s what to do with your policy to ensure it offers protection. 

Homeowners Insurance for Flood & Water Damage  

Homeowners insurance almost never covers water damage unless that damage originates in the home. For example, if a pipe bursts in your water heater and floods your living room, then your homeowners policy will likely pay. However, floods originating outside the home usually don’t have coverage. You’ll usually need to buy separate flood insurance if you want protection against hazards like flash flooding or storm surge.  

Still, even flood policies won’t cover certain types of outside water damage. A sudden break in your sump pump or sewer lines often won’t have coverage under either standard homeowners or flood coverage. You might not be able to anticipate these events, but they can still cause a lot of damage to the home. They still need appropriate coverage.