Insurance Claim for Water Damage to Kitchen
Bottom line up front: Water damage in a kitchen is covered by Insurance….
But there are 2 big questions that should be answered, before a homeowner calls an insurance company to place a water damage insurance claim.
1. Where did the Water come from?
2. Was it “Accidental and all of Sudden?”
We will explain these 2 questions below.
Learn the 3 Secrets You Should Know Before Placing an Insurance Claim
Where did the Water come from?
Where did the water come from? Or what is the source of the water?
This is the first question an insurance company will ask when you are placing a water damage insurance claim.
Sometimes this is an easy question to answer, for instance if the sink it is overflowing and there is a small waterfall in your kitchen, you can say I know where the water came from….
But, this still doesn’t answer the actual reason the water damage is occurring.
Is there clogged drain? Is the garbage disposal broken? Is the dish washer broken?
Getting a true understanding of the source, usually requires a water damage professional and a plumber. We highly recommend having an onsite inspection and assessment by a water damage professional before call an Insurance Company.
It could be the difference in getting insurance coverage or not.
Water Damage is it “Accidental and all of Sudden”?
“Accidental and all of Sudden”? Normally the answer is Yes!
When our customers are confused on this question, is if they just noticed a water damage issue for the first time, but maybe it was leaking for a week.
The answer is still Yes….
A refrigerator water line has been leaking for a week because you moved the fridge to do some spring cleaning and did not realize you had a leak until your wood floor started to buckle, it is still “Accidental and all of Sudden”.
This question trips up a lot of people and the wrong answer can cause an Insurance Company to deny a water damage insurance claim.
If a homeowner stumbles over it or says “maybe” or “no”, this will cause an agent or insurance adjuster to assume it is not a covered claim.
We highly recommend that a homeowner has a water damage professional do an on-site inspection and assessment, before calling their insurance company to place a water damage insurance claim.
The water damage professional can help them understand the insurance claims process and navigate them through it.
