Guide
Maryland insurance and water damage, in general terms
Coverage depends on your policy and on how the water got in. This guide covers the dividing lines the state's insurance regulator describes. It does not say what any policy pays.
How the usual lines fall
From MIA consumer pages; policy wording always decides.
| A pipe bursts suddenly | Policies often cover the water damage that follows a sudden burst but not the repair of the pipe itself. Your policy wording decides. |
|---|---|
| A slow or long-running leak | Policies often treat these differently from a sudden burst and may exclude them. Check the exclusions in your policy. |
| Pipes freeze | Depends on the policy and on upkeep. Ask your insurer what it expects you to do to prevent freezing. |
| Water seeps in through floor, wall or foundation | Policies often list seepage as an exclusion. Read that section of your policy and ask your insurer. |
| Flood | Not paid under a standard homeowners policy. It needs a separate flood policy, from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer. |
| Sewer or drain backup, sump pump overflow | Covered only if you bought a water or sewer backup endorsement. Ask your insurer or agent whether your policy has one and what it covers. |
| Mold | May be covered when the cause is a covered event, such as a sudden burst. |
Reading your own policy
Look at the declarations page for endorsements, and then at the exclusions for the words seepage, backup, flood and mold. Check the deductible, and ask whether mold or water backup has its own limit.
Renters carry different coverage. A renter's policy generally covers belongings rather than the building, and the landlord's insurance covers the structure. The MIA publishes a presentation on what homeowners, renters and auto policies cover for water damage.
Where to turn
The MIA's flood versus water damage advisory and water damage presentation are the sources this page draws on. To file a complaint about how a claim was handled, use the MIA's complaint page, which lists how to reach the agency. For flood policies, FloodSmart is the National Flood Insurance Program's site.
Neither this site nor the contractor you reach decides coverage, and neither will file or handle a claim for you.
Water still running or standing?
Call and say where the water is and what caused it. You will be connected with an independent restoration contractor taking calls for your ZIP code.