Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Sewer Backup Insurance

By Devon Monache


When a sewer backup occurs inside a home, it creates a very filthy and disgusting situation. When there is excessive snow melting or higher than average rainfall in a certain area, this can make the drainage system overloaded, and it can cause a sewer backup. The extra water in the pipes starts to back up, and it flows the opposite direction into your home and onto your floor. When sewage flows into your home, the damages can be very expensive and messy to clean up, and also there are health implications. Cleanup has to be begun immediately, and the price for doing it is exceedingly high. The best way to protect yourself from the financial implications of a sewer backup in your home is to get extra insurance in case of this problem, and to take some actions to prevent it.

If you're lucky, your empty tub and sink can fill with the backup sewer water without overflowing onto your floor, but your toilet is already filled with water and the extra backup water pushing up into the toilet bowl creates immediate problems. Backup results in water damage and exposes you to bacteria from the filthy water.

Those with insurance policies from traditional insurance companies will likely find that their policy has an exclusion for sewer backup damages. Most times, the homeowner can pay extra and have a rider attached to include it. Sewer backup is common in some areas that have regular flooding, so in these places, insurance companies offer only an extremely limited amount of coverage for these damages. The cost of repairing damages or the replacement of possessions will not always be completely covered by the policy's limit. Often drywall and carpets will need to be torn out, and replaced. And think about the cost to replace all of the belongings kept in your basement.

If a sewer backs up, causing waste water to enter your home, sewer backup insurance is designed to cover the cleanup. Your home insurance policy will pay replacement costs for property damage if they settle losses on a replacement cost basis. There are some insurance policies that use a coverage system based on cash values. When a policy is designed like this, property that is damaged will be covered based on the depreciated value of each item.

Cities will very rarely claim responsibility for sewer backups, it's up to the homeowner. A rider must be purchased to cover the costs of damages caused by sewer backups, unless the policy states otherwise. The chance of a sewer backup in your area will be calculated, and after this, the price will be determined accordingly. There are usually separate deductions for damages, and the insurance riders have limits for the amount of total damage. Depending on the coverage and the insurance company, limits will vary.

The responsibility of maintaining and repairing the sewer line from the house all the way into the street is the responsibility of the homeowner, even though the majority do not even have knowledge of that fact. The main sewer line is owned and maintained by the property owner, including any part of the line that extends into the street or public right of way.

Over time, these main sewer lines can easily deteriorate, crack, collapse or become obstructed. The fact that the damage is there is not usually visible to the homeowner. But one severe rainstorm may be all it takes to bring the problem to a head.

Keep in mind, the majority of business and home insurance do not automatically include sewer backup, and a rider is necessary to have this protection. Make sure that you take the steps needed to have adequate protection.




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