Water Sewer Backup Coverage Definition
Sewer backup coverage is available from most insurers for a nominal cost usually 40 50 on an annual insurance policy she said.
Water sewer backup coverage definition. So what is sewer backup. What is sewer backup coverage. Since water backups are such a common and pesky problem just about every company offers this coverage enhancement and it s a fairly high value add on costing as little as 30 a year on top of your standard coverage. Flooding is never covered under a homeowner s policy regardless of whether or not you have the water back up endorsement.
It also gives coverage for water damage caused by sump pump malfunctions. The backup of water or waterborne materials through a sewer or through a drain water or waterborne material that overflows from a sump even if the backup of water is due to the mechanical breakdown of the sump pump. To see the definition of flood click here. A discharge or overflow caused by a storm drain water steam or sewer pipe is covered as well if it is off the premises.
It also usually smells. With the back up of sewers and drains endorsement your homeowner s coverage is broadened to include coverage for damage caused by water backing up through your sewers or drains. Sewer backup is an extension to your regular home tenant or condo insurance policy which will pay for damages to your home done by well the sewer system backing up. Water backup coverage typically starts with limits of 5 000 but can be increased to a limit that meets.
Most homeowners and business owners may not realize that they are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their house or sewer lateral the pipeline between the city sanitary sewer main usually located under the street and the building. Sewer backup describes what happens when water comes up or is pushed into your home through the pipes from sewer or drainage systems. Every company is different so let s review the virginia home policy provided by safeco insurance as an example. Usually your home s septic tank is built to remain at a safe level and dissolve waste from your bathrooms.
The coverage is for repair of the damaged property the walls floors tiling and carpet areas that got saturated and need to be repaired or replaced. How much does water backup coverage cost. Sewers can backup during periods of heavy rainfall when the city sewer system can simply not handle excess water causing it to overflow into your home. This water emerges from your plumbing and can wreak havoc on your property especially on lower floors or basements.
Water backup coverage also called sewer or sump pump backup coverage is one of the more popular and useful homeowners insurance endorsements that you can add to your policy. However if something goes wrong sewer backup coverage is available as an endorsement to your home insurance policy. An optional endorsement called water or sewer backup is required for policies that do not provide coverage or for losses that originate off premise. This coverage endorsement is commonly called water backup of sewers and drains most insurance companies offer this coverage and it s something that should be recommended by your insurance agent because of how much damage water can cause.