Damaged Furniture from Flooding – Will Insurance Cover the Cost?

Flooding can be disastrous for many property owners. A simple broken water line can create thousands of dollars’ worth of loss in a matter of minutes. Your home furniture may be a part of this. Often, when furniture gets wet from floodwaters of any type, it is impossible to clean and restore. You may wish to file a home insurance claim for it. Can you?

What Caused the Flood?

The most important determining factor in determining coverage is the underlying cause of the flood.

Your home insurance almost never covers damage related to poor maintenance and upkeep. It also does not cover damage occurring as a result of damage you purposefully cause. It also usually does not provide coverage for weather-related floods if you do not have a specific flood policy. Flooding from storms has limitations in most areas.

However, if a burst pipe or similar incident caused damage, your insurance might pay. Therefore, talk to your agent about the exact cause of the damage.

When Does it Provide Coverage for Damaged Furniture?

Some types of flooding are accidental or unavoidable. Home insurance can help at this time. For example, your hot water heater may burst, causing flooding to the surrounding area. Frozen pipes may do the same thing. This type of damage often has protection from your home insurance policy.

Another common instance occurs when you have a sewer backup. In some situations, sewer backups have coverage as long as they are not due to poor upkeep. A broken sewer line can cause most of the furniture in your home to no longer be salvageable.

What Happens When a Flood Occurs?

There are plenty of situations in which flooding can occur. You may not be sure if you have coverage. This is not a problem. Before you begin the cleanup process, contact your agent.

Discuss what happened. Talk to your agent about the steps you are taking to clean up the damage. Then, talk about the losses you have. This should include any losses related to your home’s furniture. If the policy covers the flood, it will likely cover the lost furniture. Most policies also cover at least a portion of the cleanup costs.

There is no reason not to call your agent. Find out if your flooding event has coverage under your policy. This can give you some insight into what your next step is. You may be able to get funds to replace the furniture you lost. Keep in mind, however, it might only cover a portion of the replacement cost. So, don’t forget to discuss specific payouts with your agent. To learn more about homeowners insurance coverage options, contact us today.