Are Collapsed Drains Covered by Home Insurance?

It’s no exaggeration to say that a collapsed drain could cause a disaster in your home. From rodents to raw sewage, when this happens your property can be met with a number of problems. And, if it isn’t dealt with swiftly, both your health and bank balance could take a hit.

If you’re not careful, a collapsed drain could occur at any time and your home insurance may not always be able to help. Here at 1st Call Drain Clearance, we’ve put together a rundown of the circumstances where your home insurance policy may, or may not, payout for a collapsed drain. 

Check your policy

You won’t be surprised to learn that insurance policies differ from company to company. The first thing to do is to check what’s written in your home insurance policy in relation to drainage. 

As a rule of thumb, most providers will cover a collapsed drain which has been caused by accidental damage. However, your definition of accidental damage may differ from the definition given by your insurance company. 

Often, these providers will not classify things such as deterioration due to old age or pipe erosion as accidental. Most of the time only external forces such as tree root damage will come under this category. 

As well as this, some insurers will not include drains within a general home insurance plan. Instead, you’ll have to add drain cover as an added extra, and this may be something to consider, especially if you require higher liability. 

Reviewing your existing plan and seeing what it says in reference to drains is a good starting point to check if you’re covered.

Regular maintenance is key

The best way to ensure your insurer pays out on an accidental damage claim is to keep your drains maintained. If your drain was poorly or infrequently maintained prior to a collapse, then insurers are less likely to cover you.  

A collapsed drain doesn’t simply happen overnight, so regularly treating and maintaining it is the best way to avoid it happening at all. We’d always recommend hiring fully accredited specialists to carry out inspections or maintenance work. By doing this, your insurers will be able to see that you’ve performed all necessary due diligence to prevent any issues from occurring. 

Assess the cause of the damage 

If you’ve taken all necessary precautions and maintenance and still suffer a collapsed drain then it is likely accidental damage has been caused. 

But, if your insurers are still reluctant to cover the costs, it may be worth considering a CCTV survey. This is an in-depth inspection which sees a camera inserted into the drain, identifying the cause of any issue. All footage can then be used to prove whether the damage was accidental or if it is due to poor maintenance. Doing this will provide you with evidence if you pursue a claim. 

How we can help

Here at 1st Call Drain Clearance, we’re experts in a whole host of drainage services. Operating across central London and its surrounding areas, we can provide you with the necessary maintenance to prevent drain collapses, or offer CCTV drain surveys to help you discover the cause if you’ve suffered from one. For more information contact us today.