Most homeowners insurance covers water damage that's sudden and accidental — a burst pipe, a failed water heater, an overflowing washing machine — but not damage from a leak you ignored or from rising floodwater, which needs separate flood coverage. Call your insurer before cleanup starts; without coverage, restoration in this market typically runs $500 to $5,000.
What counts as 'sudden and accidental'?
Insurers use that phrase to separate the failures nobody could have prevented from the ones that built up over time. A pipe that bursts overnight, a water heater tank that splits, a washing machine hose that blows — those are treated as sudden events, and the resulting water damage is typically covered under a standard homeowners policy.
A slow drip under a sink that's been running for weeks, or a roof leak nobody patched, is a different category — insurers call it gradual damage, and most policies exclude it because it's treated as a maintenance issue rather than an accident.
Why do adjusters push back on gradual damage claims?
The burden is on the homeowner to show the loss happened suddenly, not that it merely feels sudden because it was just discovered. An adjuster looking at long-term staining, warped wood, or established mold growth will usually read that as evidence the leak had been going for a while — and deny the claim on gradual-damage grounds, regardless of when it was found.
Does a standard policy cover flooding?
Generally, no. Water that enters from outside — storm surge, a rising canal, water coming in at ground level — is usually excluded from a standard homeowners policy and requires a separate flood insurance policy. Water damage from inside the home, like a burst pipe or an appliance failure, is a different category and is usually handled under the regular policy instead.
What should you do before the adjuster gets there?
Photograph the damage before anything is moved or cleaned up, and call your insurer the same day — most policies require you to mitigate further damage, which is also why a restoration company usually gets called before the adjuster does, not after.
What is 'gradual damage' and why does it matter?
Gradual damage is water damage that built up slowly — a slow leak, condensation, or a small drip over weeks or months — rather than happening in a single sudden event. Most homeowners policies exclude it, which is why insurers scrutinize how long a leak had been present before deciding on a claim.
Do I need a separate flood insurance policy?
If water can enter your home from outside — rising water, storm surge, ground-level flooding — yes, a standard homeowners policy usually won't cover that and a separate flood policy is required. Water damage from something inside the home, like a burst pipe, is typically a homeowners-policy matter instead.
What should I do first if I find water damage?
Stop the water source if it's safe to do so, then photograph the damage before touching anything. Call your insurer the same day, since most policies require prompt notice and require you to prevent the damage from getting worse while the claim is open.
What if my claim gets denied?
You're still able to have the restoration done — it just becomes an out-of-pocket cost rather than an insurance payout. In this market, restoration typically runs $500 to $5,000 depending on how much of the home is affected.