Protecting Your Home from Below: The Importance of Sewer Backup Insurance
Imagine you wake up and you notice something is “off”. You check downstairs and you see water rising in your basement. Could it be a flood? No, it hadn’t rained the previous night. It’s most likely a sewer backup issue! While this is certainly unpleasant to think about, sewer backups are a very real problem which create a whole lot of mess to clean up once the root cause is addressed properly. The amount of damage which can occur to your home can be quite expensive and an overall disruption to the harmony of your home. This is where sewer backup insurance comes in to save the day. Sewer backup insurance protects your home in multiple ways. Throughout this post, we’ll be going over the various ways in which sewer backup insurance will help you in your time of need.
What is Sewer Backup Insurance?
Sewer backup insurance is quite literally what it sounds like. It’s an additional form of coverage which can be added to your existing homeowners insurance policy. It will cover damage to your home and personal property from the backup of sewage or water through your drains, toilets, or sump pumps. These backups could occur due to blockages, excessive rainfall, aging sewer systems, etc… These sewage backup incidents are not typically covered under standard homeowners insurance policies.
Why is Sewer Backup Insurance Necessary?
Growing Risk: As areas throughout the country age more as each year passes, infrastructure follows. The risk of sewer backups will likely increase as everything starts to become a little older each year. Older sewer systems may not have the efficiency and effectiveness to handle heavy rain or floodwaters, leading to a sewer backup issue.
Costly Damages: The amount of damage a sewer backup incident can cause could be very, very expensive. It can affect the flooring of your home, the wall’s of your home, the furniture within your home, and fry out electrical systems. All of this could amount to tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
Health Hazards: Sewage is gross. It contains harmful bacteria and other pathogens which could pose a serious health risk if not promptly resolved. Cleaning up everything after a sewer backup issue requires professional remediation to prevent harmful bacterial and mold growth which could lead to health issues later on.
What Does Sewer Backup Insurance Cover?
Sewer backup insurance typically covers:
- Repairs to any part of your home damaged by sewage backup
- Cleaning costs to sanitize contaminated areas of your home
- Replacement or repair of damaged personal property
- Temporary accommodations if the home is deemed uninhabitable during the cleanup process
What is Not Covered?
It is important to note sewer backup insurance does not typically cover flood damage. Floods and sewer backups are considered separate perils under different insurance policies. If you live in an area prone to flooding, you’ll want to purchase a separate flood insurance policy.
How to Get Sewer Backup Insurance?
Adding sewer backup coverage to your homeowners policy is usually quite straightforward:
- Talk to Your Insurance Provider: Inquire about adding a sewer backup coverage policy to your policy and be sure to fully understand the terms and exclusions
- Assess Your Risk: Consider the true age of your home’s plumbing and sewer system, your area’s average rainfall patterns, and local sewage system conditions
- Adjust Coverage Limits: Ensure your coverage limits are sufficient to cover potential damage in your home
Choose Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance for Your Sewer Backup Insurance Needs
While sewer backup insurance may seem to be just another add-on to your homeowners insurance policy, it’s truly worth it when you weigh the positives and negatives. A sewer backup insurance policy could save you so much time, money, and frustration if a covered incident were to occur. Sewer backup insurance is a good idea to place your home within a higher level of comprehensive protection. Feel free to contact us to learn more about how we can help at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance.