Flooding – Know insurance terms

Posted on October 21st, 2010

Typically when a homeowner discovers water in their home he will immediately shout, “the kitchen is flooded” or “the house is flooded.” This is a common term associated with unexpected water in a living space. After the initial shock, the homeowner will call for repair and clean up as well as contact their insurance company to report the claim. This excitied homeowner will relay the same information to the insurance company, “the kitchen is flooded.” The insurance company files the claim and likely will deny the claim because they didn’t discover a flood. This is a frustrating scenerio for a homeowner and is very time consuming.

The insurance companies have a very specific defintion of flooding and it’s not just a room filled with water. In fact, the National Flood Insurance Program’s definition a flood is “A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more adjacent properties (at least one of which is yours). Read More It’s usually caused by water levels rising.

This is why it’s very important that a homeowner clearly and correctly identify the damage in the claim. It’s usually the case that this “flooding” is a result of a burst pipe, valve, or faulty water line. The insurance claim should be for the burst pipe damage that caused the collateral water damage. The same is try for a broken toilet or sink that causes water to accumulate on the floor throughout the home. Now you know, it’s not a flood in your kitchen rather a burst pipe the sprayed water everywhere. A homeowners policy doesn’t cover flood, that’s why there’s flood insurance folks.

There’s another hot topic that involves roof damage and roof leaks. Homeowners might claim that their roof is leaking and needs repair. Well that’s not covered under the policy, rather it’s a repair from another cause – lightening, tree fell on the roof, hurricane damage.

The water leaking is not from the water dripping from a damaged roof, but is the subsequent damage from a tree hitting the roof or lightening striking the house. In this case the insurance company will likely repair the roof and the water will stop entering the home. Again, know your definitions.

We at Stellar Adjusting Services know theses definitions and will guide you when filing a claim so that you correctly and accurately communicate the damage. It’s the first step in repairing your home.

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