Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Toilet Overflow?

Toilet Overflow – Among many forms of water damage, the toilet could be one of the causes!   You could have a jammed toilet valve, a blocked toilet or a blocked sewer pipe; the greatest attention should be given to running water and drain flow in a home.

Most owner occupied homes are covered by a Homeowners Insurance Policy (Form HO-3);  the policy may or may not have additional endorsements to extend additional coverage to the policy.   An unendorsed Form HO-3 does not include sewer backup or water backup issues.   It is important to review your policy and assure that you understand what coverage you are paying for.

Toilet valves are most often small plastic parts and vulnerable to cracking, jamming and overall failure; it may be a good practice to speak to a plumber about changing the very inexpensive parts every few years in order to avert a water damage issue.

Another related and major issue on homes is the assurance of a clean and free flowing sewer system; most often water backup issues are not covered by homeowners insurance and can cause some very expensive damage to flooring.

Newer homes are constructed with flush out access drains around the home so that the sewage system can be flushed from time to time assuring the clear flow of water through the system;  older homes will usually have an access drain at a bathroom or kitchen junction where a plumber can similarly use a commercial snake to clean out the system.

To avoid any such issues, it is recommended to replace supply lines, toilet valves and any other vulnerable connections; also, it is important to always pay attention to the drains in the sinks, shower and bath tubs to make sure that the water is properly and quickly draining.

One last and very important tip would be to shut off the Interior Water Valve to your home when leaving for any extended period of time;  should there be a water related issue in your home in your absence, you could come back to a devastating situation.