Water Damage and Homeowners Insurance: What New York Says Is Usually Covered

Two homes with the same wet floor can have different insurance answers, because insurance follows the cause of the water.

A burst pipe, rain coming through a damaged roof, a sewer line backing up and a river overflowing are different causes, and a policy treats them differently. The Department of Financial Services says insurers are expected to assess claims promptly, treat policyholders fairly, and pay covered claims on time (NYS Department of Financial Services). What is covered is set by the policy.

The Department says standard homeowners and renters policies generally do not cover flood losses, and that flood coverage usually comes from a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). A flood claim goes to the insurer that sold the policy, or to NFIP if you bought directly from it (NYS Department of Financial Services).

Its flood insurance page adds that a flood policy normally takes effect 30 days after purchase, which is one reason to read the policy before a storm rather than after (NYS Department of Financial Services). See storm and flood damage.

The Department says sewage damage is covered by some policies, but is typically excluded when the backup was caused by flooding (NYS Department of Financial Services).

Its homeowners guide, a 2013 edition, describes a water backup endorsement that some insurers offer for an added premium. It generally applies to several types of water backup, including municipal sewer lines, toilets and sump pumps, and its wording varies between insurers. The guide adds that homeowners insurance excludes losses caused by flooding, and that a sump pump failure caused by a flood is not likely to be covered by either a flood policy or a homeowners policy alone (NYS Department of Financial Services). See sewage cleanup.

On wind, the Department says wind damage may be covered, and that coverage can depend on the policy’s terms (NYS Department of Financial Services). It says a claim with more than one cause should be handled even if not every cause is covered (NYS Department of Financial Services). The cause of a particular loss, and what your policy says about it, is a question for your insurer.

• File as soon as possible and ask your insurer exactly which documents it needs (NYS Department of Financial Services).
• Keep a log of conversations with the insurer, including names, dates and times, and follow up in writing (NYS Department of Financial Services).
• Document before you clean up, with photos or video and a room-by-room inventory (NYS Department of Financial Services).
• Make only emergency repairs needed to prevent further damage, and keep the receipts. Hold off on permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected (NYS Department of Financial Services).

The department also says repairs are limited to health and safety needs, such as removing waterlogged drywall or rugs, and to preventing further damage, and that you should document everything first (NYS Department of Financial Services).

H&H Environmental has operated since 2005 and provides 24/7 emergency service. Water damage restoration covers water extraction, removal of wet or damaged materials where necessary, structural drying, dehumidification, antimicrobial treatment, and monitoring. See water damage restoration and emergency water extraction.

We work directly with your insurance carrier and provide documentation and direct billing for covered losses. Whether a loss is covered depends on your policy and the cause of the damage, and that decision is your insurer’s, not H&H’s.

If mold is a concern, see mold services: on a New York mold project, H&H performs either the mold assessment or the mold remediation — never both on the same project.

H&H is based in Saugerties, in Ulster County, and focuses on eight New York counties. Call and tell us where the property is and what happened, and we will confirm availability.