Do I have to pay for a water leak, or will insurance pay for it?
Short answer. It depends on the cause. Insurance generally pays for water damage from a sudden covered event, such as rain through a storm-damaged roof, but you pay to fix a leak caused by wear, such as an old pipe boot or worn flashing, and often for damage from leaks that went on for weeks.
Split every leak in two
- The source. If wind or hail damaged the roof, the roof repair is covered. If the source is a worn pipe boot, cracked sealant or rusted flashing, fixing it is maintenance.
- The damage. Ceilings, insulation, floors and belongings. Covered when the source is a covered event. When the source is wear, some policies still pay for sudden resulting damage, but damage from seepage over a long period is usually excluded.
Roof leak examples
- Hail fractures shingles and rain soaks a bedroom ceiling: roof and ceiling likely covered, minus the deductible.
- A 15-year-old pipe boot cracks and drips into the attic for months: the boot, the rot and the mold are likely on you.
- Wind lifts flashing during a storm and the kitchen ceiling stains that night: likely covered.
What you must do either way
Stop further damage: tarp the roof, move belongings and dry the area. Policies require reasonable steps, and damage from waiting can be denied. Keep receipts, because reasonable emergency costs are usually part of a covered claim. See emergency tarping and mitigation and interior water damage coverage.
Plumbing leaks
A burst supply line is usually covered; a slow drip under a sink usually is not. Water rising from outside is flood, which needs separate flood insurance.