Guide · Insurance and water damage
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage?
Often, when the water was sudden and accidental. Often not, when it was slow, from outside, or from a backup. Your policy and your insurer decide. Here is how it usually breaks down.
This is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Onyx does not sell insurance and cannot tell you what your policy covers. Your declarations page, your policy wording and your adjuster are the only real answer.
What we can tell you is how water losses are commonly treated, and what makes a claim easier to support. For how Onyx works alongside your adjuster, see our insurance claims page.
What to do before and while you file
- Stop the water and make it safe. Policies generally expect you to prevent further damage. Shut the main, stop the source, and start drying. Waiting can make part of the loss harder to claim.
- Document before anything is moved or thrown out. Photos and video of the source, the water line, damaged materials and belongings. Keep failed parts, such as a burst supply line or a dead sump pump.
- Read your policy for water exclusions and endorsements. Look for the words sudden and accidental, gradual leakage, flood, surface water, and water backup or sump overflow. Many water backup protections are a separate endorsement.
- Call your insurer and get a claim number. Report the loss promptly. Write down who you spoke to, when, and what they said, and ask how they want mitigation handled.
- Get the moisture readings on record. A restoration company measures what is wet behind walls and under floors and logs it daily during drying. Onyx documents the loss this way and works with your adjuster on homes across Philadelphia.
- Keep every receipt. Hotel stays, emergency repairs, equipment rental and replaced items. Some policies reimburse additional living expenses or emergency mitigation.
Water losses that are often covered
Common examples of sudden and accidental water damage. Whether yours is covered depends on your policy.
- A pipe that bursts, including a frozen pipe that splits in winter
- A water heater, washing machine hose or supply line that fails suddenly
- Water from firefighting after a house fire
- A roof leak caused by a sudden event, such as storm damage
Water losses that are often excluded or limited
- Slow leaks and seepage that went on for weeks or months
- Flooding and surface water from outside, which usually needs a separate flood policy
- Sewer or drain backups and sump pump overflow, unless you added a water backup endorsement
- Damage from lack of maintenance, such as a roof that was already failing
- Mold, which many policies limit or cover only when it follows a covered water loss
Why documentation decides so much
Adjusters look at cause, timing and extent. Photos show the cause. Dated moisture logs show the extent and that drying was done properly. Both are part of how Onyx handles water damage restoration, from extraction through the rebuild.
FAQ
Common questions
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage from a burst pipe?
Sudden and accidental damage like a burst pipe is often covered under many policies. Coverage is your insurer's decision, so document everything and report it promptly.
Does homeowners insurance cover a roof leak?
It often depends on why the roof leaked. Sudden storm damage is treated differently from a roof that leaked slowly because it was worn out. Check your policy and ask your adjuster.
Does homeowners insurance cover sewer backup?
Many standard policies exclude it unless you added a water backup or sump overflow endorsement. Read your declarations page or call your agent to find out.
Can a restoration company deal with my insurance company for me?
Onyx documents the loss and works with your adjuster, but the claim and the coverage decision are between you and your insurer.
Should I start cleanup before the adjuster comes?
Most insurers expect you to prevent further damage, which usually means stopping the water and starting drying. Photograph everything first and ask your insurer how they want it handled.
Next step
Need the damage documented?
Call Onyx. We stop the damage, record the readings and photos your adjuster will ask for, and handle the repairs after.
Call 267-353-7953Not an emergency? Request a callback online and Onyx will call to confirm a time.