If you've been trying to get home insurance, you've become well aware that these policies do not cover flooding, and you need to get a separate policy to cover damage from floods due to storms, pipe backups, hurricanes, and more. It's enough to make you wonder if anything water-related will ever be covered by your policy. Homeowner's insurance actually does cover some water-related damage, but not necessarily from flooding. Here's how to know if you define flooding as your insurance company does.

Define "Flooding"

First, you need to know what's really flooding and what isn't. Your insurance company doesn't define a flood as any amount of water being where it shouldn't be. It treats floods as those that are slow and that gradually flood your home. So, for example, the surge from an overflowing river that gradually builds up is flooding. Your insurance wouldn't cover this.

However, if your sink pipes burst and filled a cabinet with water, your insurance would cover that damage. The difference is that this was a sudden burst of water due to home fixture damage. It can be frustrating to figure out exactly where the line is, which is why you should be sure you know what your home insurance coverage excludes regarding water damage. Your agent can explain the policy and give you some examples.

Did the Ground Flood First?

You should have noticed that the two examples used were differentiated by speed. It's true that this is a major identifier of a flood; a flood is gradual, but covered water damage is usually sudden and unplanned. That does not mean that a sudden flood from an external phenomenon would be covered. For example, a tsunami that crashes ashore and fills your kitchen might not be covered as it's still water that was on the ground first (there can always be exceptions, of course). Rain that floods your home through a hole in the roof created by a large hailstone would likely be covered, though, as that rain didn't touch the ground before touching your home.

Sewer and Septic May Be Excluded

Sewer and septic issues are often exceptions to the sudden-accident rule. While a sudden sewer backup is not something you planned and not something due to a weather phenomenon (or at least, not usually), it does technically come from the ground and head up into your house. In this case, it's a good idea to ask specifically about sewer and septic damage to ensure you buy the correct riders and supplemental policies that will cover that type of damage.

For more information about covered flood damage, contact a home insurance company.