Water mains and sewer breaks are a common occurrence throughout NYC, approximately 11,000 property owners will experience a broken or cracked pipe this year. The average homeowner tends to panic and contact their homeowner’s insurance company to report the claim. Unfortunately a small percentage of insurance companies will cover the cost for a broken pipe, and especially when the broken pipe is located on the outside of the house.
In some cases the insurance policy will include a rider to cover specialty damage such as a busted water pipe or sewer main. At this point the insurance company will hold an onsite review to assess the extent of damage and the cause. If the broken pipe is caused by natural wear and tear, the insurance company tends to assist in covering a larger percentage of the cost. In other cases the insurance policy may cover the internal damage caused by the broken pipe. For example, if the water backed up in the house and ruined the floors or walls, this may be covered by the policy.
In most cases the homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover any type of broken sewer or water main damage. At this point the owner must contact a private contractor to evaluate the details associated with the broken pipe, and provide an estimate of the total cost.
Most private water main and sewer contractors respond to an emergency call within 24 hrs and can work on an emergency basis to repair the broken pipe the very next day. The DOT (Department of Transportation) allows for a licensed and bonded contractor to open the roadway on an emergency basis and work until the leaking pipe is resolved.
