Sewer Backup Insurance: How To Know If You Actually Need It

9/10/2024 (Permalink)

Sewage! Hardly anyone wants to talk about it, much less find sewage water bubbling up in their bathroom. But sewer and water backups can happen regardless of where you live, so homeowners need to prevent and prepare—these events can cause thousands of dollars in damage.

Standard homeowners insurance covers damage when the water originates from inside the home (like from a water heater or washing machine ), but it usually doesn’t cover damage from water/ sewer backups. For protection in such gnarly incidents, you’ll need additional coverage, sometimes called a rider. The good news is that the average cost is $50 to $250 a year—arguably inexpensive for the amount of protection you get. If you don’t want to get stuck with the bill when your sump pump fails, consider adding this overage to your home insurance policy.