Water Damage: Determine Coverage and Maximize Compensation

Factors That Determine Coverage

When it comes to water damage, everyone’s situation is different. Below are some of the factors that determine coverage.

Speed of the Damage

Homeowners insurance typically only covers sudden and accidental water damage. Most forms of coverage exclude gradual water damage. For example, your coverage will probably apply if a water pipe bursts and floods your house with water while you are at work.



However, the coverage might not help you if a DIY plumbing mishap causes a water leak that gradually damages your home. In this case, the damage is neither gradual nor accidental.

Cause of the Damage

Your home insurance company will also be interested in the course of the damage. First, you should know that standard home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. The coverage won’t come to your rescue if floodwaters sweep through your house and damage its contents. You need flood insurance for such damage.

For other forms of water damage, home insurance may apply depending on your policy. For most policies, coverage typically applies if a house suffers water damage due to a roof leak. On the other hand, many policies exclude sewer or water backup from outside the house. Also, not every time the insurers would take the charge of your roof damage repair.

So, installing a roof that requires less maintenance and lasts longer could be a much better option. For example, you could choose metal roofing for your home or a commercial building. Among all of the advantages of metal roofing, the longest lifespan tends to be the most important one. The surface of the metal sheet is hard and slippery by nature, making it difficult for snow and water to adhere. In areas with heavy snowfall, having the snow easily come off your roof is a significant benefit, reducing the weight on your home and the need to file a damage insurance claim. Hence, as rightly said, prevention is always better than cure, so instead of neglecting the roof leaks and relying on insurance in case of damage, it could be more profitable to install a metal roof by opting for the services of a commercial roofer in Greenville SC (or wherever you dwell).

Nature of the Damage

You should also know that water damage comes in various forms, and home insurance only covers some of them. Your home insurance will apply, for example, if water damages your electrical system or siding or your foundations, should you require the services of someone like this Foundation Repairs Milwaukee company to come out and fix these. However, the coverage is unlikely to help if the moisture triggers mold growth in your home and you require mold remediation.

Tips to Maximize Compensation

Once you have established that you have coverage, the next step is to maximize your compensation. The following tips can help.

Mitigate the Damage

Water damage has both immediate and long-term effects. Examples of long-term damage include corrosion and decay. As previously mentioned, your insurance coverage only applies to sudden and accidental damage. Thus, you need to mitigate the damage as much as possible. Damage mitigation measures include:



• Drying out the house
• Extracting and cleaning items exposed to water
• Stopping further flooding
• Switching off electricity in water-logged areas

With such measures, you won’t give the insurance company any reason to claim that your actions or inactions contributed to the damage. That way, you increase your chances of full compensation.

Document the Damage

You also need to document the damage. The documentation will serve as proof of your loss. Your insurance company will only compensate you for losses you can prove. Here are a few tips that can help:



• Take photos or videos of the damage
• Create an inventory of the damaged items
• Get professional quotes or appraisals of the damage

The insurance adjuster will also do an appraisal. If the adjuster’s appraisal is lower than what you expected, the damage documentation strengthens your bargaining power.

Report the Damage Promptly