What is and is not usually covered
This follows the Insurance Bureau of Canada's guide to water damage. Policies differ, so yours is the one that counts.
| Burst pipe, leaking appliance | Usually covered when it is sudden and accidental. The damage is covered; fixing the appliance that failed usually is not. |
|---|---|
| Sewer or drain backup | Typically not covered by a standard policy. Sewer backup coverage is optional, and most insurers offer it. |
| Overland flooding | Typically not covered by a standard policy. Optional overland flood coverage is offered by many insurers, priced on the risk where you live, and is often sold together with sewer backup coverage. |
| Slow, repeated or maintenance problems | Insurance is for sudden and accidental loss. Damage that built up over time, or that keeps happening, is generally treated as maintenance. |
This is general information, not insurance advice. Your broker or insurer can tell you exactly what you have.
The first hour of a backup
- Stop using water in the house. Every flush and every tap adds to what is coming up.
- Keep people and pets out of the water. Sewage is a health hazard, and water near outlets or a furnace is an electrical one.
- Photograph and video everything before you move or clean anything: the water level against a wall, each room, and each damaged item.
- Call a plumber to stop it, and call your insurer or broker. Many insurers want to hear about a claim right away and may send their own restoration company.
- Do not throw damaged things out until the insurer says you can. If something has to go for health reasons, photograph it first.
What to do while you wait for the plumber is on the emergency page.
What to keep
- Your photos and videos, with the date and time.
- The plumber's invoice and report.
- Receipts for everything you spend because of the backup: pumps, fans, cleaning, a hotel.
- A list of what was damaged, with rough ages and values.
- The camera inspection recording, if one was done.
- Notes of who you spoke to at the insurer and when.
What the plumber's report should say
An adjuster wants to know what happened and why. Ask whoever clears the line to put these on the invoice or in a short report. We do it as a matter of course.
| Where it backed up | Which fixtures or drains, and on which floor. |
|---|---|
| Where the blockage was | The distance from the cleanout, and whether that puts it under the house, in the yard, or at or past the property line. |
| What caused it | Roots, a collapsed or sagging pipe, grease, wipes, or the city main surcharging in heavy rain. |
| What was done | Cabled, jetted, camera run, and whether the line is now flowing. |
| The state of the pipe | From the camera: material, cracks, offsets, bellies, and whether it is likely to happen again. |
The cause matters. A sudden blockage is one thing to an insurer. A pipe that has been failing for years is another. A camera inspection is the only way to know which you have.
When the blockage is on the city's side
If the camera shows the blockage is past your property line, or the city's main backed up into your house, tell your municipality the same day. Cities set short deadlines for written notice of a claim, and each has its own process. Who owns which part of the pipe is set out city by city on our drain cleaning page.
Before it ever happens
- Ask your broker whether you have sewer backup coverage, what the limit is, and what the deductible is.
- Ask whether a backwater valve or a sump pump changes your premium or is a condition of the coverage.
- If the house is older or has big trees, have the sewer line inspected by camera once so you know its condition.
- Keep valuables and anything that cannot get wet off the basement floor.
- Before the rainy season, do the twenty-minute drain tile and sump check.
Questions people ask
Does home insurance pay for the plumber?
It depends on the policy. Sewer backup coverage is mainly about the damage the water does. Whether clearing the line or repairing the pipe is covered varies, so ask your insurer before you assume either way.
Does insurance pay to replace the broken sewer pipe?
Often not under standard or sewer backup coverage, because a worn-out pipe is treated as maintenance. Some insurers sell separate service line coverage for the pipes between the house and the street. Ask your broker whether you have it.
Should I clean up before the adjuster comes?
Stop the water and make the area safe, and photograph everything first. Ask the insurer before you throw anything out or start tearing out flooring and drywall.
Will a backwater valve stop this?
A backwater valve stops the city sewer pushing back into your house. It does nothing for a blockage in your own line between the valve and the house, and it needs checking and cleaning to keep working.