Poll: Are you aware of the possibility of adding a sewer and backup endorsement to your property insurance policy?
A suggested post to help you your community protect themselves financially from sewer or water backups
Poll question: Are you aware of the possibility of adding a sewer and backup endorsement to your property insurance policy?
Poll options:
- Yes, and I have the policy add-on
- Yes, but I have yet to get the add-on (will do)
- I am now and will contact my insurance agent
- Other (please leave a comment)
Description:
Just 1 inch of water can cause $25,000 of damage. A sewer or water backup endorsement, often described as an optional policy add-on, grants coverage for damage inflicted by a backed-up sewer system. Scenarios that might trigger this coverage could include a blockage resulting in a backup from a sump pump failure, a blocked drain, clogged pipes, or municipal sewer system backup.
This coverage add-on is not typically included in standard homeowner's insurance policies. As a result, you would need to request your insurance agent to add this coverage to your policy for an additional cost (typically results in a nominal increase in your annual premium).
While it's true that some forms of sudden and accidental water damage, such as leakage from a busted pipe or a breach in the roof, might be covered by your homeowner's insurance policy, unfortunately, sewer backups are not typically among them. It's worth noting that losses from water backups triggered by blockages or sump pump failures are also excluded from flood insurance policies.
If you have a basement, you are at risk of a sump pump failure and could particularly benefit from this coverage. The same goes for damages caused by roaming tree roots that can seriously damage sump pumps. Please ensure your home is fully protected by considering the addition of this critical endorsement to your policy.
Renters must purchase flood insurance separately, just like homeowners – to cover the renter’s possessions, not the structure. A landlord’s insurance policy would typically cover sewer and backup.
For more information on insurance coverage, see https://www.iii.org. We'd also like to thank them for providing the photo!
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