If you have suffered a water damage loss, aside from hiring a reliable water damage repair company in Riverside and having the issue fixed, you’ll need to deal with all the insurance-related hassle as well. This may be super-stressful if you are not familiar with complicated insurance terminology and have no experience in this field.
In such events, it’s best to contact experienced water damage specialists as soon as possible. They will handle the claim for you, as well as tackle the most burning issues, including drying and repairing the water-damaged wood floor and preventing the mold from infesting your drywall.
Here is what you need to learn about water damage insurance policies in order to be equipped to act swiftly, maximize your water damage claim, and know what you can expect:
What kind of water damage does insurance cover?
Whether your homeowner’s policy in CA will cover water damage will depend on different factors, including the type of your policy, the source of the damage, as well as whether it was sudden, accidental damage, or gradual.
For example, if you have an HO-1, HO-2 or HO-8 policy, your coverage is very limited. On the other hand, if you have purchased a special HO-3 policy form, your dwelling will be covered on an open-peril basis, while your personal property will be covered on a named perils basis.
In other words, your dwelling will be covered for all perils, except for those explicitly listed in the exclusion section of the policy, while your personal property will be covered only for the perils that are clearly specified in the form.
These are some of the circumstances under which the water damage should be covered:
- Damage due to heavy rain, snow, ice or sleet
- Plumbing issues (accidental overflowing, faulty plumbing, freezing of plumbing and pipes)
- A leaky roof (the interior is covered)
- Faulty appliances (ex. washing machine)
- Sudden and accidental cracking or tearing apart of a hot water heating system, air-conditioning, an automatic fire protective sprinkler system, etc.
Is accidental water damage covered by insurance?
The majority of homeowner’s insurance policies cover accidental, sudden damage. This is the damage that occurs instantaneously, as a result of an unexpected and unintentional mishap.
For instance, let’s imagine that the temperature drops to 10 below zero and your water pipes burst due to freezing. This would be considered accidental damage and your claim would be accepted.
However, even though a pipe burst due to freezing is covered, the policy may state that you need to keep your property heated and cannot leave it unoccupied during the winter. If the burst pipe scenario happened, but it turned out that you hadn’t complied with these specific requests, your claim would be denied. To make sure that you are completely familiar with your policy provisions, it’s best to hire professionals to advise you on the matter.
When is water damage not covered?
Unlike accidental damage, gradual damage (the damage that happens over time) is rarely covered. In the same way, the carrier may decide to deny the claim due to the negligent maintenance of premises. Here are a few other cases when water damage won’t be covered:
- If it is a result of a flood (there are separate flood damage policies that you can purchase if you live in higher-risk areas)
- If it came from a sewer and drain backup
- If it resulted from groundwater, etc.
Looking for the #1 water damage repair company in Riverside and the area? Call EHS!
If you need help with structure drying, leak detection, or you’re looking for a water damage repair company in your area who can handle your insurance claim, EHS is just a phone call away. We take pride in our cutting-edge tools, including thermal imaging equipment, extractors, state-of-the-art fans, HEPA air filtration systems, and powerful dehumidifiers. They, combined with our unquestionable expertise, leave nothing to be desired for.
So, instead of dealing with any water-damage related issue on your own, give us a call. While we take care of the emergency, you’ll get an opportunity to relax, visit your friends or spend an enjoyable afternoon at the delightful Irvine Lake.