Does homeowners insurance cover flooded basements?

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• A flooded basement is covered by homeowners insurance if the damage is from a burst pipe or another peril named in your policy.
• However, damage that occurs due to lack of proper maintenance is not covered.
• If water is from floods, sewer backup, or underground seepage, you need separate flood insurance or sewer backup coverage.
• See Insider's guide to the best homeowners insurance companies.

Storms can cause damage to your home, and due to climate change we're seeing storms happen more frequently. If your basement is flooded, homeowners insurance covers you, but it depends on how the water entered your basement.

Does homeowners insurance cover a flooded basement?

Homeowners insurance protects your dwelling and personal property from damage and offers personal liability coverage. A flooded basement is covered if it's the result of a covered event, referred to as an insurance peril.

An insurance peril is an event that may damage your home or belongings, like theft, fire, or a storm. The type of peril coverage you have depends on the type of homeowners insurance you purchased.

Standard homeowners insurance typically covers these perils:

• Fire or lightning
• Windstorm or hail
• Explosion
• Riots
• Aircraft
• Vehicles
• Smoke
• Vandalism
• Theft
• Falling objects
• Weight of ice, snow, or sleet
• Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
• Sudden and accidental tearing, cracking, burning, or bulging
• Freezing
• Sudden and accidental damage due to short circuiting
• Volcanic eruption

When a flooded basement isn't covered

Damage that's the result of poor maintenance is not covered. Floods, earthquakes, government seizures, mudslides, ordinance updates, sewer backups, and sinkholes are perils that will not be covered by homeowners insurance. Those will require add-on coverage using a rider policy or separate insurance.

Flood damage is not covered under standard homeowners insurance and requires separate flood insurance. Standard homeowners insurance doesn't cover water damage from backup or sewer lines, but it's available as an add-on rider. You need to check with your insurance provider to see if additional coverage is offered for backup and sewer lines.

Flood insurance is an addition to your homeowners insurance policy that can cover flood-related damage. A flood is defined as surface water entering the inside of your home structure through existing openings that are above ground level.

Flood insurance specifically excludes water damage from sump pumps, sewer water, broken pipes, rain from an open window, and rain from windstorms, Ralph Blust, CEO of the National Flood Services told Insider.

Water Damage	Covered by homeowners insurance	Covered by flood insurance
Sump pump	Yes*	No
Sewer water	Yes*	No
Basement water	Yes*	No
Broken pipes	Yes	No
Rainwater or windstorm	Yes	No
Accidental discharge of water or steam	Yes	No
Flood	No	Yes
Windstorm or hail	Yes	No
Ice, snow, or sleet	Yes	No

*Available as add-on service line or sewer backup coverage if not part of policy

**Flood insurance is available through the NFIP and approved insurers

What about mold?

If mold damage is a result of water damage from a covered peril - such as a burst pipe, wind,or hail storm - it may be covered under standard homeowners insurance. If mold is not related to a peril, then most homeowners insurance companies will deny coverage for mold damage.

If your home gets mold as a result of a flood or sewer backup, you will not be covered unless you have a separate flood insurance or purchased a service line rider that covers sewer lines.

How to file a claim if your basement is flooded

If your basement is flooded, follow these steps to report and file a claim.

1. Take pictures of damaged possessions and what caused the damage (fire, storm, etc).
2. Contact your homeowners insurance company. Failure to timely notify your insurance provider can result in denying the claim.
3. If damage is from flood, earthquake, or landslide where you have separate coverage, contact that insurance provider.

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