If you’ve ever experienced a sewer backup in your home, you know what a mess it can create. Sewer backups can occur when a drainage system simply can’t handle unexpected volumes of water from a major rainstorm or a sudden snow melt. The waste water flows back, through the pipes, into your home. Sewage coming into your home can cause extensive damage, not to mention a serious health risks. Immediate cleanup is required, and can be very expensive. The best way to protect yourself from the financial implications of a sewer backup in your home is to get extra insurance in case of this problem, and to take some actions to prevent it.

The tub or sink can just fill with the excess water sometimes, but if it goes through the toilet pipe, it will flow over the edge more quickly since it is full of water, and this situation can happen with no warning. Backup results in water damage and exposes you to bacteria from the filthy water.

Sewer backup is usually excluded from the list of insurable damages in traditional insurance company policies. It can usually be added to the policy with a rider, which comes at a higher premium rate. Sewer backup is common in some areas that have regular flooding, so in these places, insurance companies offer only an extremely limited amount of coverage for these damages. The cost of repairing damages or the replacement of possessions will not always be completely covered by the policy’s limit. The damage can be so extensive that carpets need to be replaced, and you may need to install new drywall. And think about the cost to replace all of the belongings kept in your basement.

Sewer backup insurance will protect a homeowner from the cleanup costs and damages associated when sewer waste flows into a home. When the policy you hold deals with losses using a replacement cost calculation, damaged property will be covered as well. Other policies provide coverage on an actual cash value basis. If that’s the case, your policy will pay only the depreciated value of any damaged items.

Most cities accept no responsibility for sewer backups. Unless sewer backup is mentioned specifically in your home insurance policy, a rider must be purchased to be covered in case of damages from this cause. The chance of a sewer backup in your area will be calculated, and after this, the price will be determined accordingly. Insurance riders typically limit the damage covered and also have separate deductions for damages. The limits vary with the type of policy coverage and the insurer.

The responsibility of maintaining and repairing the sewer line from the house all the way into the street is the responsibility of the homeowner, even though the majority do not even have knowledge of that fact. The property owner is responsible for maintaining the sewer line to the street or public right of way, as owner of the line, they are expected to maintain it.

Sewer lines can become obstructed, they can have cracks form, or they can just wear down and collapse, due to the passage of time. It can be difficult to know if the line is damaged. If there is a major rainstorm or melt, the issue with the pipes will become obvious quickly.

Typically, sewer backup is not covered by a home or business insurance policy, so to be safeguarded against these unfortunate circumstances, the purchase of a rider is necessary. Make sure that you take the steps needed to have adequate protection.

We offer the only Guelph home insurance policy that can be truly tailored to your needs. Get a quote and buy a policy online or by phone. Or check out our Home Insurance video.