Insure Your Home Against Unexpected Water and Sewer Disasters

Imagine coming home after a long day and finding your basement flooded with sewage water. You call your insurance company, hoping to get some relief. But they tell you you’re not covered for this type of damage. You’re left with a sickening mess, a hefty repair bill, and a lot of frustration.

This is a nightmare scenario that many homeowners in New York face every year. Sewer backups are one of the most common and costly causes of water damage in homes. But they’re not automatically covered by standard home insurance policies. You need a special endorsement called water and sewer backup coverage to protect yourself from this risk.

Water and sewer backup coverage is an inexpensive optional home insurance rider you can buy from your insurance company. It pays for the damage to your property and belongings caused by water or sewage backup. This can happen when water or sewage flows back into your home through your drains, toilets, or sump pumps. It also covers the cost of cleaning up the contaminated area and removing the excess water.

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about water and sewer backup coverage in New York. We’ll also show you how to find the best policy for your needs and budget. And we’ll share some tips on how to prevent sewer backups from happening in the first place.

The Horan agency is an experienced insurance provider for homeowners in CNY. We’ve helped many insurance shoppers like you find the best coverage for their homes. We know how devastating a sewer backup can be, and we want to help you avoid that situation.

If you want to learn more about water and sewer backup coverage and how it can benefit you, read on.

Water and Sewer Backup Claims Are Common

Water damage is a common problem that can happen to anyone, even if you have a home insurance policy. That’s because most home insurance policies don’t cover water damage caused by things like toilet overflows, sump pump failures, and backed-up sewers.

These are some of the most common and costly causes of water damage in homes. According to the Insurance Information Institute, water damage and freezing accounted for 23.5% of all homeowners insurance claims in 2021, with an average claim amount of $12,514.

If your toilet overflows, it can quickly cause a lot of damage. The water can seep into the floor, walls, and ceiling. It can also damage your furniture, flooring, clothes, and a lot of what you own. If you don’t act fast, the damage can be extensive and costly to repair.

That’s why it’s important to have water backup coverage on your home insurance policy. It will pay for the damage caused by a toilet overflow, sump pump failure, or backed-up sewer. This can save you thousands of dollars in repair costs.

Water Damage From Water Backup is Devastating

Your home is full of potential sources of water damage. You have many places where water can burst out and flood your rooms. For example, your tub drains, toilet, sinks, pipes, and sump pump are all waiting for a chance to overflow and spill water everywhere.

Water is ready and waiting to reach your living space. It’s eager to meet you and your stuff. But there’s a catch. When it does, it will bring a lot of volume with it. The amount of water that will enter your home will soak everything in its path. It won’t stop until it merges with your wood, fabric, wiring, and more.

It will swell your walls, pour through your light fixtures, and become your new floor.

You might think that water damage is a rare and unlikely event that only happens to certain people. But the truth is water damage can happen to anyone, anytime, and for any reason. And it can be very expensive and stressful to deal with.

One of the most common and misunderstood types of water damage is water backup. This is when water or sewage backs up through your drains, toilets, or sump pumps, and floods your home. This can happen because of

1. a clog,
2. a malfunction,
3. a power outage, or
4. a heavy rainstorm.

Water backup can cause a lot of damage to your home and belongings. It can also create health hazards from mold, bacteria, and viruses. Often, thousands of dollars in repair and restoration costs follow.

Water backup is not covered by most standard home insurance policies. That means if you have a water backup incident, you’ll have to pay for all the damage out of pocket. That’s not a pleasant situation to be in.

How Water Backup Can Happen to You

Maybe you’re at work one day when you get a call from your neighbor. They tell you that your toilet has overflowed and water is coming out of the floor in your bathroom. You rush home and see that the water has spread to the kitchen and living room. Your carpet is soaked, your furniture is ruined, and the walls are starting to bubble.

Perhaps your sewer line gets clogged by tree roots. Or, debris and water backs up into your drains.

Water backup is not only caused by the municipal sewer system’s failure. It can also happen because of everyday things that you may not notice. For example, maybe your kid decides to throw a toy or a ball into the toilet and flush it down.

You may flush too much paper or other stuff in the toilet, or you may have hair clogging the sink or the shower drain. These things can cause water to back up in your pipes.

Another common source of water backup is the sump pump in the basement. This device pumps out excess water from the ground or surface, especially during winter when there is a lot of snow and rain. Sometimes, the sump pump can’t handle the amount of water and either stops working or overflows.

This can flood your basement in no time. You may think that your basement is not important, but it contains many things that are essential for your house, such as your furnace and your water heater. If these appliances get damaged by water, you will have to deal with cold and wet conditions, and your insurance company may not cover the costs. Water and sewer backup coverage is critical in this case. The coverage will pay for the damage caused by water backup to your personal belongings, your basement’s structure and furnishings, and your appliances.

However, not all insurance companies offer the same amount of coverage.

Some limit it to a few thousand dollars because they know how expensive water damage can be. Others let you choose how much coverage you want, up to the value of your house. This may seem excessive, but it gives you more options and peace of mind. Water backup coverage is a valuable protection that you should consider for your home.

Whatever the cause of a water or sewer backup incident, the result is the same: water everywhere. And not just any water, but dirty water that can contain sewage, bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.

Without coverage, you have to deal with the cleanup and the repair. And that can be a hassle and a headache.

But that’s not all.

Water and Sewer Backup Aftermath: Cleanup and Restoration

When you encounter a water disaster, you have to turn off the water source and stop the overflow. Then you have to call a professional water restoration company to come and dry out your home. They will bring in fans, dehumidifiers, pumps, vacuums, and other equipment. They will use these to remove the excess water and moisture from your home.

This process can take several days or even weeks, depending on the extent of the damage. And it can be very noisy and disruptive to your normal life.

You also have to pay for their services. And they don’t come cheap.

According to HomeAdvisor.com, the average cost of water damage restoration in 2022 was $3,484. Costs ranged from $1,306 – $5,737. And that’s just for drying out your home.

You also have to pay for repairing or replacing your damaged property and belongings. This includes

• carpeting,
• flooring,
• drywall,
• paint,
• furniture,
• appliances,
• electronics,
• clothing,
• books,
• important paperwork,
• and more.

Then you have to pay for disposing of any contaminated materials you can’t salvage or clean This can include carpet padding, insulation, plaster, wood, and more.

The costs can add up fast if you don’t have water backup coverage on your home insurance policy. You could end up paying more than the average homeowner too. That depends on the size of your home, the value of your belongings, and the extent of the damage.

But if you do have water backup coverage on your home insurance policy, you don’t have to worry about any of these costs. Your insurance company will cover them for you, up to the limit of your coverage.

Water backup coverage can save you thousands of dollars in repair costs if you ever have an incident. It can also give you peace of mind knowing that you’re protected from this common and costly risk.

Insure Your Home Against a Water and Sewer Disaster

What will you do if faced with a sudden water or sewage disaster in your home? Without water backup coverage, you could be responsible for the entire repair cost. Add to that the cost of replacing your things. This could cost you thousands of dollars. But with water backup coverage, you don’t have to worry about these expenses. Your insurer takes care of it for you.

If you don’t have water backup coverage on your home insurance policy, we urge you to add it. $10,000 in coverage averages about $60 per year on your home policy. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind knowing that you’re protected in case of a water disaster.

If one ever happens, you’ll call your insurance company or agent. Water backup coverage will pay for the damage and restoration because you’ll have the endorsement on your home policy. A few weeks later, the damage is repaired, and your home is back to normal.

We offer water and sewer backup coverage as part of our comprehensive home policies. We work with top-rated carriers to provide you with the best coverage options. Coverage also comes at the most affordable rates. With Horan, you’ll get personalized service. Our insurance experts will help you make informed decisions about your insurance needs.

Whether you have a question, a claim, or a concern, we’re always here for you.

Don’t let a sewer backup ruin your home experience and exhaust your savings. Click the Get a Quote button for a free quote for water and sewer backup coverage in New York.

And learn about another critical home policy endorsement. Read our article "What is Underground Sewer Line Insurance?"