Does home insurance cover frozen and burst pipes?

This is general information, not insurance advice. Wording differs between insurers. Check your own policy or ask your broker.

What is normally covered

Standard home policies cover sudden and accidental escape of water from a plumbing system. When a pipe splits, that typically includes:

• Extracting water and drying the structure
• Removing and replacing damaged drywall, insulation, flooring, cabinets and ceilings
• Opening a wall, floor or ceiling to reach the failed pipe, under many policies
• Cleaning or replacing damaged belongings
• Additional living expenses if the home cannot be lived in

What is normally not covered

• The pipe. Repairing or replacing the failed pipe, fitting or valve is generally excluded, as are worn-out plumbing and the cost of replacing old pipes throughout the house.
• Gradual leaks. Damage from continuous or repeated seepage over time.
• Wear, rust and corrosion.
• Freezing in an unattended home, unless the policy’s conditions were met. See below.
• Freezing outside the building, such as outdoor taps, pools and irrigation lines, under many policies.

The freezing condition

This is where most disputes arise. Many Canadian home policies say, in effect, that damage from freezing of plumbing inside a heated building during the usual heating season is not covered if you have been away from the home for more than a stated number of consecutive days, often four, unless one of these was done:

• A competent person entered the home each day to make sure the heat was on, or
• The water supply was shut off and the pipes and appliances were drained

Some policies also accept a monitored alarm that reports low temperature. The number of days and the exact wording vary, so read your policy’s freezing clause before you travel.

Points people miss:

• A neighbour looking at the house from the driveway is not entering it.
• “Daily” means daily. Twice a week does not meet a daily requirement.
• Keep a record: who checked, and when.
• Shutting the water off without draining may not satisfy a “shut off and drained” condition.

Vacant homes

A home that is vacant, meaning the occupants have moved out, is treated more strictly than one whose owners are on holiday. Coverage for water damage is commonly removed after a set period of vacancy, often 30 consecutive days, and sometimes from the first day. This catches people with a house for sale, an estate property, or a home under renovation. Tell your insurer as soon as a property becomes vacant and ask what is needed. See winterizing a vacant home.

Cottages and seasonal homes

Seasonal properties are usually insured on narrower terms. Water damage may be excluded in winter altogether unless the plumbing is shut down and drained, or covered only with specific conditions. Check each year.

Pipes that burst for other reasons

Not all burst pipes are frozen pipes. Failed fittings, corroded copper, split plastic lines and burst supply hoses are covered on the same basis: sudden failure yes, long-term leak no.

Insurers pay attention to plumbing type. Some older materials have a history of failure, and an insurer may ask about them, limit coverage or charge more. If you know your home has an older plumbing material, disclose it and ask how the policy treats it.

Condos

A burst pipe in a condo unit usually involves the corporation’s policy for the building and your unit owner policy for improvements, contents and living expenses. If the pipe was in your unit, the corporation may charge its deductible to you, which a unit owner policy can cover. See condo water leaks.

Tenants

The landlord insures the building. Your tenant policy covers your belongings and living expenses. If your own action or neglect caused the damage, for example leaving a window open in a cold snap, you could be held responsible, and the liability part of a tenant policy is what responds.

What to do when a pipe bursts

1. Shut off the main water valve.
2. Turn off electricity to affected areas if water is near outlets or fixtures and the panel can be reached safely.
3. Photograph the pipe and the damage.
4. Call your insurer or broker.
5. Start extraction and drying the same day. You are expected to limit the damage, and mold can begin within about 48 hours.
6. Keep the failed section of pipe.
7. Keep a record of when you were last home, and of anyone who checked the house.
8. Keep receipts.

Full steps: burst pipe: what to do.

A frozen pipe that has not burst

There is no insured loss yet. Shut off the water, open the tap, and thaw the pipe gently with warm air or warm towels, never an open flame. If you cannot find or reach the frozen section, call a plumber. See frozen pipes.

If the claim is questioned

Insurers look at three things in a freezing claim:

• How long the home was unattended
• Whether heat was maintained
• Whether the arrangements required by the policy were made

Useful evidence: travel dates, the house-sitter’s log or messages, thermostat or smart-home records, heating fuel deliveries, the furnace service history, and a heating technician’s report if the furnace failed.

If a claim is denied, ask for the reason and the wording in writing. See water damage claim denied in Ontario.

Preventing the loss, and the argument

• Shut off the main valve whenever you go away
• Keep the heat on, no lower than about 13 to 15 degrees Celsius
• Arrange checks that match your policy’s wording
• Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages
• Shut off and drain outdoor taps before winter
• Fit a temperature alarm and leak sensors, or an automatic shut-off valve
• Service the furnace each autumn

More: burst pipe and water damage.