This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Every policy is different, and your policy wording decides what is covered. Read it, and ask your insurance agent or company if anything is unclear.
What a homeowners policy usually covers
Many insurers in Virginia use a standard homeowners form, often called an HO-3, or a policy built from it. Those policies are written to cover water damage that is sudden and accidental. A pipe that splits and floods a ceiling is the textbook example. Depending on your policy, that can include:
- Repairs to the house itself: drywall, ceilings, insulation, flooring, cabinets, trim and paint
- Water extraction and drying
- Opening a wall, ceiling or floor to reach the broken pipe
- Your belongings that the water damaged, under the personal property part of the policy
- Extra living costs if the house is not livable during repairs, under loss of use coverage
Common exclusions
The pipe itself
Many policies pay for the damage the water caused but not for fixing the pipe that broke. They treat the pipe as a maintenance item.
Slow leaks and wear and tear
Damage from water that leaked or seeped over weeks or months, like a drip under a vanity nobody noticed, is often excluded. So is a pipe that failed because it simply wore out. A sudden break is a different story from a slow leak, which is one reason clear documentation of what happened matters.
Freezing in a house that was not heated
The standard form excludes freeze damage to plumbing unless you used reasonable care to keep heat in the house, or shut off the water supply and drained the system. If the house was occupied and heated and a pipe in an outside wall froze anyway, that exclusion usually does not apply. If the house sat empty with the heat off, it may. How to prevent frozen pipes in Northern Virginia
Flooding and sewer backup
Water from outside, like a rising creek or surface water, is flood damage. Homeowners policies exclude it, and it needs a separate flood policy. Water that backs up through a floor drain or sewer line is usually excluded too, unless you added a water backup endorsement.
Mold
Many policies limit or exclude mold. Mold that grows because a covered water loss was not dried in time can become a coverage problem, which is another reason to get the water out and the structure dried fast.
What to do in the first few hours
- Stop the water. Shut off the main water valve.
- Take photos and video of the damage, the broken pipe, and anything wet, before you move or throw out anything.
- Report the loss to your insurance company or agent.
- Prevent more damage. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps, like stopping the water and starting the dry-out. Waiting can make damage worse.
- Keep every receipt, including hotel, meals and supplies if you have to leave the house.
- Ask before you throw things out. Your adjuster may want to see damaged items, or at least clear photos of them.
How we fit in, and what we do not do
You hire us, and we bill you. We work for you, not your insurance company. Our job is the restoration, plus the paperwork your adjuster needs to see what happened:
- Photos of the damage before, during and after the work
- Moisture readings logged at every visit, so the drying is on record
- A written estimate for the dry-out and the rebuild
- We send that documentation to your insurer
- We meet your adjuster at your home to walk the damage
We are not public adjusters. We do not decide what your policy covers, and we do not negotiate with your insurer for you. In Virginia, a person who negotiates a claim for a homeowner for pay must be a public adjuster licensed by the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance. If you want that kind of help, look for a licensed public adjuster or talk to an attorney.
When the house is dry, the same crew rebuilds it. You deal with one company from the first call to the finished room. See our burst pipe cleanup and repair.