Water Backup Coverage

Do you know what is covered and what is not covered by your homeowner policy?

If a toilet overflows or a shower drain gets clogged and overflows, your homeowner policy provides coverage.  However, all homeowner policies exclude any damage caused by water that escapes, overflows or discharges from a sump pump, sump well or any other system designed to remove water which is drained from the foundation area.

The good news is that there is an endorsement that can be added to your homeowner policy which removes the exclusion and provides coverage for such an unexpected incident.  Pricing and coverage amounts available will vary, depending on the carrier.

The other thing to remember is that flooding is not covered by this endorsement, but can be purchased through the government's national flood insurance program.

Note:  Some of the above information was obtained from a News & Community Bulletin from Safeco Insurance.