It’s not easy to deal with the fallout and damage a sewage backup can cause.
And standard insurance policies do not cover sewage backup, a fact most people aren’t aware of until it is too late. Fortunately, with a little care and foresight, you can prevent great inconvenience and financial loss. Most sewer line issues are a result of human error and poor maintenance. In case something happens, we offer an endorsement that you can add to your standard policy that will cover all damages associated with sewage back ups. The endorsement usually costs as little as $40 to $50 per year, and gets you an extra $10,000 of coverage should your sewer back up.
Once you purchase the extra backup endorsement, the insurance company will only reimburse you if the source of the damage comes from a circumstance outside of your control. The part of the pipe that is damaged must also be located on your property. Unfortunately, the most common damage to sewer lines occur through preventable, thus uninsurable, means. Every homeowners insurance policy explicitly states that any damage caused by a sewage backup will not be covered. Whatever the raw sewage destroys will not be qualified for replacement or reimbursement from the insurance company.
To help you avoid financial loss and damages, Safeside has created a list of some of the many things you can do to ensure your sewer does not back up at some point in the future. The most notorious cause of sewage backup is clogging that results from flushing objects that should not be flushed. Cooking oils are particularly harmful, because they can congeal in the pipes, thoroughly clogging them up. Paper towels are also damaging to flush because of how easily they can aggregate, and therefore block a sewer pipe. Replacing your metal pipe with a plastic pipe will also help reduce the risk of tree roots creeping into the pipe and damaging it. A sure way to prevent accidents is to regularly inspect your sewer lines to catch any problems before they cause any major damage. As with anything in life, a little prevention goes a long way.