According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), flooding is the most common natural disaster that affects homeowners. Subsequently, water damage is also one of the most popular insurance claims filed each year. For this reason, it makes sense why people want to know if their home insurance covers water damage.

We don’t want you standing ankle-deep in water wondering if your policy covers flooding or pipe bursts. That’s why we created this article: to make sure your claim is a success. On this page you will find what is typically covered by home insurance, examples of claims that get paid (plus others that fail), and whether flood insurance is a good option for you.

Most home insurance policies say they cover water damages, but to extent and what does water damages even really mean? For most basic home insurance options, sudden and accidental leaks and bursts are usually covered. However, gradual water damage is not covered. Gradual water damage is when a leak or other water complication develops slowly over time, causing damage to your residence. This applies beyond water damage. Gradual degradation of your home is expected and therefore not listed in your policy. For example, paint chipping off the wall occurs slowly. Eventually, if left unattended, one or two chips develops into half the wall becoming uncovered. Although your wall is now damaged, it was a process that developed over time (not suddenly). For this reason, your homeowners’ insurance will not cover it. The same concept applies to water damage. When a pipe in your wall leaks for a few weeks, it could ruin the integrity of your wood walls. Because this leak happened over a long period of time, an insurance agent will most likely not approve your claim to repair your wall and pipe. Long story short: if the damage is not sudden or accidental, but instead is the result of a long-standing problem that went undetected you will have a problem in a claim and might have a claim denied.

At the end of the day, each insurance policy is different. It’s challenging to understand why specific claims get approved or denied. Still, we can try and give you a little bit more clarity behind the reasoning. If water damage is sudden and accidental, there’s a good chance you are covered by most standard home insurance policies. By definition, insurance is meant to protect you from sudden changes and unexpected damages. Just think about car insurance. You won’t be covered because your ten year old car has faded in color. However, you will be covered if another driver crashed into your ten year old car. The same is true for your home insurance; sudden, hard-to-predict, and accidental events give you a higher chance of reimbursement. Below are common claims that are often approved or denied by insurance agencies because they are the result of gradual damage:

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