Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Frozen Pipes?

A broken pipe due to freezing is covered by homeowners insurance policies whenever the damage is sudden and accidental. You also usually have coverage for any cleaning and required repairs due to water damage from your frozen pipe. Ironically enough, the only thing that’s usually not covered is the cost to repair the pipe itself.

Dwelling Coverage

Dwelling coverage can help pay to repair or rebuild your home’s structure. Your pipes are considered part of that structure and are therefore covered in your home insurance policy.

Personal Property Coverage

These personal belongings are covered if a frozen pipe bursts and damages your furniture, artwork, or other valuables. Often, your insurance company will offer you the actual cash value of your belongings instead of their replacement costs. However, you can upgrade your policy to get replacement cost coverage. 

You should also look over your coverage limitations and sub-limits. For example, you might have $300,000 in coverage but only $3,000 for your artwork. If water damage destroys $5,000 worth of art, you’re only covered for the first $3,000.

Additional Living Expenses

If your frozen pipes make your home temporarily uninhabitable, your additional living expenses will reimburse you for your restaurant meals, hotel stays, and other costs while you’re displaced.

Your standard homeowners insurance policy doesn’t cover water damage from frozen pipes if:

You have to purchase add-ons or flood insurance to get covered in these situations.  

Frozen pipes are often out of your control, especially when cold weather becomes a regular occurrence during the winter months. Here are a few reasons that your pipes may burst:

Frozen pipes can be sudden and accidental, but sometimes it’s because your plumbing is damaged. Here are a few signs that could indicate that you’re having plumbing issues:

Search for a potential water leak or contact a plumber to inspect your pipes. It’s better to catch your plumbing problems early before they become a larger issue.

If it’s freezing outside and you’re not getting running water from one or more of your faucets, you might have a frozen pipe. If you act quickly, you can thaw the pipe and even stop it from bursting. Here’s how:

While insurance policies differ, the process for filing an insurance claim is usually pretty similar. Here’s what you need to do:

Luckily, burst pipe costs usually aren’t too expensive. The average range of a burst pipe is between $200 and $1,000, with the minimum fee being around $150 and the maximum cost about $2,000. 

You get coverage for burst pipes in two ways:

If your claim gets denied, you can do one or all of the following:

If your frozen pipe didn’t cause significant damage, it might be advantageous to pay out of pocket for repairs, especially when you factor in your deductible.

By winterizing your home, you can minimize the chances of your pipes freezing. Here’s what you should do: