Severe weather patterns in the last few years mean home and business owners have experienced storms with record, wind and rainfall– all causing a record amount of flooded households and businesses in Texas.

Water claims under personal or business insurance contracts can be complicated and easily misinterpreted, and basic insurance does not cover everything and some may cover nothing at all.

The most frequent water damage claims arise from surface water, sewer backup, or hydrostatic water pressure. Regardless if you have a personal or business claim, the cause of loss is first identified and then your coverage is reviewed.

Most insurance companies’ standard personal and business policies exclude protection for surface water that harms the property. You and your agent should be aware of whether or not your insured property lies in a designated flood zone. If so, you can purchase insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.

The other causes of loss noted may be covered by purchasing endorsements that add coverage over and above what many standard policies provide. These endorsements may limit coverage to a specified dollar amount, but recovering even a portion of the loss might make a big difference to the financial health of your family or business.

Under a personal insurance policy, endorsements can provide limited coverage for sewer backup, overflow of drains and sumps and hydrostatic water pressure for limited amounts, depending on the amount of coverage you purchased on the base policy. We can help you make the right choices based on your personal needs.

Business owners can obtain endorsements to add coverage for exposures such as sewer backup, hydrostatic pressure and interior building damage from rain, sand or dust without damage to the roof or walls. Some endorsements adding protection for water damage may include coverage for loss of business income and extra expense you bear as a result of a covered loss brought on by water damage.

Do remember that 15% of federal government’s flood hazard maps date back to the 1970’s or 1980’s and didn’t factor in any global warming factors. Don’t hesitate to discuss your current policy with us and see if adding an endorsement might be right for you.