Is Toilet Overflow Covered By Homeowners Insurance or is it not? The answer tothat is in your insurance policy.
It mainly depends on the terms and conditions of the policy and the cause ofthe overflow. If the cause of the overflow is covered, the water damage bythat will be covered.
Cases Where Water Damage from Toilet Overflow is Generally Covered
Although it is decided by the terms and conditions of your insurance policywhether or not water damage by toilet overflow is covered, there are somecommon cases where it mostly is. These include:
Toilet Overflow Caused by Clogged Drains
If the toilet overflow is caused by a clogged drain, it is covered byhomeowner's insurance. Here's an example of that.
If the drain pipes are blocked and the toilet's flushing system is broken,water can fill up in the pipes and will eventually lead to toilet overflow.Such cases are generally covered by homeowner's insurance.
Toilet Overflow Due to Faulty Plumbing
Another case where the answer to the question "is toilet overflow covered byhomeowners insurance" is yes is when the overflow is caused by a plumbingproblem on the property. For example, if the drain pipes are blocked on theground floor, the wastewater can overflow into the toilets of the groundfloor. Such cases are generally covered.
Toilet Overflow Caused by A Faulty Sump Pump
If the sump pump for pumping wastewater out of the basem*nt is faulty, thiscan cause toilet overflow. This is another example of the cases where theanswer to "is toilet overflow covered by homeowners insurance" is yes.
Cases Where Toilet Overflow is Not Covered
Homeowner's insurance is generally not responsible for the faults in thedrainage system outside the property. Here are some of the examples wheretoilet overflow water damage is not covered:
Clogged Main Sewer Line
If the overflow is due to a clogged drain outside the property, homeowner'sinsurance won't generally compensate you for that.
Faulty Sump Pump Outside the Property
If the overflow is caused by a malfunctioning sump pump outside the property,this is not covered by insurance.
Flood-Caused Toilet Overflow
Unless your insurance policy explicitly states that it covers you againstflood-related damage, toilet overflow water damage caused by a flood is notcovered.
Who Gets to Decide?
So, who is the one deciding, is toilet overflow covered by homeownersinsurance?
Technically that is the insurance company. Once you file the claim, they'llsend their team to inspect the case.
This team then decides whether or not you are covered.
You are thinking right, the team might tend to favor the insurer as they arethe ones paying them.
To solve that problem, you can hire a public adjuster. Here's what a publicadjuster like ACI Adjustments Group can do for you.
