New homeowners, beware of this smelly problem that isn’t covered by insurance

One problem that comes with being a new homeowner is what dr. Rick As advertised, there are a lot of new costs to life besides becoming a parent. When you purchase a home, you suddenly become responsible for expenses you didn’t even know existed, such as foundation repairs and radon abatement. One of the worst things that can happen is a sewer backup.

A few years ago, some of my friends had sewer problems at their home that ended up costing $10,000 to fix. Sewage backups and other sewage problems literally stink. And what’s even more “stinky” is that sewer problems aren’t always covered by homeowners insurance.

Let’s take a look at some ways you can protect yourself from some of the particularly nasty costs of homeownership.

What is Sewage Backup and Water Backup?

Sewer backups, also known as sewer backups or water backups, occur when sewer pipes are clogged or damaged. There are several types of sewage backups and water backups that are part of the same problem of being wet and messy.

• Drain Backup: In the worst case scenario, you may end up bringing back into your home the smelly substances you are trying to keep out of it.
• Storm sewer backup: Water backups can also occur when heavy rain causes storm sewer systems to fail, allowing dirty rainwater to overflow into residential homes.
• Drain pump overflow: This is another type of water backup problem that affects homeowners who use sump pumps. If you have a basement in your home that tends to get wet when it rains, consider installing a sump pump (or upgrading your existing pump for greater capacity).

Which homes are most at risk from sewer backups and water backups?

Sewer backups can be especially bad for older homes that do not have regular sewer inspections and sewer maintenance. If you have a lot of old trees on your property or nearby, it may also increase your risk of sewer blockages. Tree roots can get into drain pipes and cause blockages.

If your home is in a tree-lined neighborhood with old, outdated sewer pipes, you may want to consider contacting a local sewer cleaning service. Add this to your annual to-do list and home maintenance budget. Many sewer services offer free estimates and inexpensive sewer line inspections, so you can keep an eye on things before they cause costly problems.

Water backups are devastating and frustrating, and something no homeowner wants to experience, but it could happen to you. You are especially at risk if you live in a humid climate or in an area that is experiencing heavy rainfall due to climate change. Many cities are trying to expand the capacity of their stormwater treatment systems. However, this may not help if your home is flooded by water and your insurance does not cover it.

How to Get Sewer Coverage on Your Homeowners Insurance

Sewer backups are not always included in homeowners insurance, but many companies offer them as optional coverage. Check your homeowners insurance policy to see if you have coverage for sewer backups or water backups (or both). Different homeowners insurance companies may use slightly different wording for this coverage.

For example, my homeowners insurance covers:

• “Water Backup” Coverage: We pay a portion for damage caused by water that builds up in drains or drains or overflows into sump pumps.
• “Service Line” coverage: Pays part of the cost of repairs to outside service lines, including sewer pipes, water pipes, and power lines.

Some local water utilities and public utilities also offer service line insurance through private insurance companies such as HomeServe. This plan allows you, as a homeowner, to purchase additional insurance coverage for the portion of your water or sewer pipes that you are responsible for maintaining.

conclusion

New homeowners (and long-term homeowners) should check their homeowners insurance policy to see if they have sewer backup, water backup, and service line coverage. And find out how much your insurance company will actually pay, excluding your deductible. If you have serious sewer problems or your neighborhood experiences storm water flooding due to heavy rain, the costs could be greater than multiple mortgage payments and more than your “rainy day” fund can cover.

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