Water Backup vs Overflow vs Flood
It’s important to be familiar with 3 types of Water Damage and understand the difference: Water Backup vs Overflow vs Flood. When you call to make a claim, make sure that you have Water Backup coverage in your home insurance policy or have a separate Flood Insurance.
Average of Home Insurance Water Damage Claim in Arizona
The typical cost of water damage claim in Arizona: $800 – $3,100, with the Phoenix city average at $1,864.
What’s the difference between “water backup” or “overflow”
Most jurisdictions define a backup as originating off your premises inflicting a reversal of the course of water from the general public strains into your sewer, sump, or drain strains. An overflow occurs due to a pipe blockage to your premises. Some home insurance will cover overflow but maybe not water backup, so it’s essential to recognize the difference and have the right water damage coverage.
Flood or Surface Water?
“Floodwater” is defined in property coverage phrases as water that overflows its natural boundary, including a river or creek overflowing or storm surge in coastal areas. “Surface water” is described as water that collects from rainwater in an area that might normally no longer be blanketed in water. Flood coverage policy normally covers flood water. Surface water that enters your property may also or might not be included by means of a policy or endorsement. So again, it’s crucial to apprehend the difference.
The City of Phoenix has a Floodplain Management Program that maps the areas of Phoenix prone to flooding. Be sure to check the map on the Phoenix Floodplain website to see if your home sits in a neighborhood that floods often.
Water backup insurance/water backup coverage in Arizona home insurance policy
6 Ways to Protect your Home from Water Damage
Ideally, you may want to make sure that between your standard home coverage, your backup of sewers and drains endorsement, and your flood insurance, you would be included for clearly any sort of water damage scenario. But this can be possible best if your backup of sewers and drains endorsement triggers below all of these circumstances:
- Both water backups and overflows are as described above
- Whether the loss is caused by an on-premises or off-premises issue
- Water overflow into your sump pump is because of surface water
Water damage situations and which sort of home insurance could be maximumly probable to cowl the claim
- Maintenance. What you have to realize What to search for in backup of sewer and drains coverage
- Dispose of grease properly. Cooking oil and grease washed down the drain will solidify either within the drain or somewhere within the line, creating a blockage. Dispose of grease somewhere other than your drain.
- Dispose of paper merchandise well. Toilet paper needs to be flushed. Other paper products do not deteriorate quickly and might cause trouble in sewer lines on your home or in the city’s primary line. If you are a snowbird remember to flush several times before leaving for long periods to clear the lines of paper that can dry out and plug with the desert heat.
- Have your lines checked for tree roots? Have a certified plumber scope your lateral traces to test for roots or other potential blockages in case you suspect there might be a problem. You may additionally need to have tree roots trimmed. On older homes, you may want to purchase service line coverage as this is generally excluded in most policies (it is cheap and usually cost about $25-30 in a year).
- Invest in backups to your sump pump. A battery backup pump can help prevent a loss if there may be an energy failure or your sump pump fails for some other reason.
- Consider putting in a backwater prevention valve. A backwater valve may be mounted into a sewer or drain line on your basement to prevent sewer backflows. While they won’t necessarily save you all backups, they can help. Be sure to use a qualified, certified plumber for the installation.
What to look for in water backup of sewer and drains coverage
Water backup coverage is an optional endorsement. You have to add it to a standard homeowners, condo, or renters insurance policy.
You should constantly work closely with your insurance agent or broker whilst purchasing insurance, however understanding some of the terminology and concerns will help you.
Here are a few pointers:
- Be sure you have coverage for water backups and overflows from sewers, drains, and sumps. Make sure you recognize what is taken into consideration on-premises and off-premises.
- Check to make certain you are covered for surface water getting into the property, either through the sump or other openings at the surface.
If you have flood coverage and water backup coverage, make sure you apprehend which coverage could prevail in a loss which includes the second one in the table above. It may additionally vary by way of jurisdiction. Be certain you apprehend which wear-and- tear eventualities might exclude you from being covered by way of any of the coverages discussed here (broken sump pumps, cracks inside the foundation, etc.).
Carefully check your coverage limits for backup and sewers and drains. Some endorsements come with their personal separate limits, which may not be sufficient to cowl a good-sized loss.
Talk to our independent agents to learn more about your home protection: water backup coverage and flood insurance. We offer an endorsement called Backup of Sewer and Drains that you can add to your home insurance policy.
Contact your agent for full details regarding Water Backup vs Overflow vs Flood coverages and discounts. We will help you to keep your home protected from water damage.