Most homeowners give little thought to their home’s underground piping – until it bursts or leaks. Your homeowner’s insurance policy is designed to cover the cost of repairing many of the issues that can come up in older homes. Depending on your policy, circumstances involving issues with exterior wiring and plumbing may or may not be covered. While every policy is different, most will pay for some of the costs associated with faulty electrical wiring and interior and exterior plumbing, such as fire damage caused by faulty electrical wiring, interior pipe damage caused by pipes that burst because of poor insulation or age, or water damage due to a leaky roof.
If the break or hole in pipe occurred within your home’s foundation, it may be covered., however, it is not likely that your policy will cover pipe bursts or breaks that occur outside of your home’s foundation “footprint”. Your insurance company will want to know where the pipe break occurred, if it is an underground pipe that connects to the main municipal sewer line.
Your claim is likely to be denied by the claims adjustor for:
- Normal aging
- Wear and tear
- Lack of regular maintenance
- Ongoing pipe issues
In general, your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover problems that are traced to non-negligent damages, and if it causes water damage to the interior of your home, your policy may cover costs for cleanup as well. Your claim is more likely to be approved by the claims adjustor for:
- Condensation line overflow from the central air-conditioner
- Broken water hoses into the washer
- Burst pipes due to freezing (providing the heat has been on within the home)
For more information about a homeowner’s insurance policy that will give you the assurance that you are protected in case of plumbing issues, contact the Mike Leonard Insurance Agency.