So, I had a copper pipe burst in my house, water everywhere, and I’m wondering if homeowners insurance covers this kind of thing? Anyone know what’s usually covered and what’s not? Also, what about frozen pipes?
Yeah, most policies cover burst pipes if it’s sudden and accidental. They’ll typically pay for repairs to things like floors and walls too. Just don’t expect them to cover it if you ignored a leak for a while.
@Rin
Good to know! It was definitely sudden… just gushing water out of nowhere.
For frozen pipes, they’ll cover it too, unless you left the heat off and caused the freeze. Make sure to keep the thermostat at least at 55° if you’re leaving for a few days.
Finley said:
For frozen pipes, they’ll cover it too, unless you left the heat off and caused the freeze. Make sure to keep the thermostat at least at 55° if you’re leaving for a few days.
Ahh, gotcha! I’m always paranoid about the pipes freezing when I’m out of town. Will definitely remember that.
Finley said:
For frozen pipes, they’ll cover it too, unless you left the heat off and caused the freeze. Make sure to keep the thermostat at least at 55° if you’re leaving for a few days.
What’s the deal with frozen pipes? Does insurance cover all the repairs?
@Rin
Yeah, if it’s accidental. But if you let it freeze because you turned off the heat or something, they might not cover it.
Heads up though, insurance won’t cover old pipes breaking just from wear and tear or if roots break them. It’s usually only if something sudden happens, like if you accidentally dig into your water line or something.
@Marlowe
Oh man, I didn’t know that. Glad mine was just a random burst!
And if it’s a water main break, the city’s responsible for fixing that. But if your house gets damaged from it, you should contact your insurance and the city.
Hart said:
And if it’s a water main break, the city’s responsible for fixing that. But if your house gets damaged from it, you should contact your insurance and the city.
That’s good info! I was worried about whose responsibility that would be.
Also, make sure your policy includes personal property coverage and loss of use. That way, if you have to stay somewhere else while your home gets fixed, they’ll cover things like hotel stays and pet boarding.
@Van
Yeah, that would be really helpful if I ever needed it. Thanks for the tip!