Urgent Call
The first call of the morning was from Mrs. Robinson. After heavy rain overnight, we received a call from Mrs. Robinson “my basement flooded, and I need to find out where this water is coming from; please help.” The next day we conducted a visual assessment and found that the basement needed a waterproofing system due to seepage from the walls and floor. Mrs. Robinson said, “ok, I’ll call my insurance company, and we can get this taken care of.” Reluctantly, we had to give Mrs. Robinson the bad news, “unfortunately, Mrs. Robinson, based on our experiences, homeowner’s insurance does not take care of waterproofing systems. We urged her to call her insurance company to have the facts and better understand her policy.
After The Insurance Company Process
Mrs. Robinson called us back very dejected. “Mr. McPherson, the insurance company, sent over the adjustor, and they don’t cover seepage. I’ve been paying this insurance company over the years, and now that I have an incident, they don’t cover it.” Mrs. Robinson was extremely heartbroken that this now will be an expense to come out of her pocket. Too often, this is the reaction from several other clients.
Typically Covered By Insurance Companies
Homeowners insurance covers sudden losses due to the following (but not limited to)
- Water lines bursting within the basement
- Appliances- Water heaters (neglect is not covered) or washers
- Leaky pipes
- *Sump pump or sewage back up
*Some insurance companies may require adding an endorsement to cover.
Not Covered
Homeowners insurance does not cover the following due to these items being considered delayed maintenance.
- Foundation cracks
- Exterior stairwell drain
- Seepage from foundation walls or floors
Recommendations
To cover yourself, we find it is essential to check your insurance policy. Adding the sump pump/sewer backup endorsement would be a great place to start. Check to see if you have coverage for mold. Now that we have established what is covered and what is not, let’s take steps to protect your foundation—helpful tips to protect your basement from water intrusion.
Mrs. Robinson is now able to rest at night and worry-free when rain is in the forecast.
