Water damage claims, explained in plain English.

What's usually covered (and what isn't)

Every policy is different, so read yours or call your agent. As a general rule for Pennsylvania homeowners policies:

• Usually covered: sudden and accidental water damage, like a burst pipe, a split water heater, a failed washing machine hose or an ice dam leak.
• Usually needs an add-on: water that backs up through a sewer or drain, or overflows from a sump pump. This is the "water backup" or "sewer and drain backup" endorsement.
• Usually needs flood insurance: rising water from outside, like a river, creek or surface runoff. Flood coverage is a separate policy, often through the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Usually not covered: damage from a slow leak that went on for a long time, wear and tear, or poor maintenance. Mold coverage is often limited.

Policies also cover the cost of repairing the damage, not necessarily the broken pipe or appliance that caused it.

Your claim, step by step

1. Stop the water and make it safe. Your policy expects you to prevent further damage, which includes getting water out quickly.
2. Document before cleanup. Take wide photos and video of every affected room, close-ups of damage, and the source (the burst pipe, the failed hose).
3. Call your insurance company to report the loss and get a claim number.
4. Start mitigation. Extraction and drying usually shouldn't wait for the adjuster's visit. Ask your insurer if they have any specific requirements.
5. Keep everything. Save damaged materials or samples until the adjuster says you can discard them, plus receipts for hotel stays, meals and supplies.
6. Review the adjuster's estimate alongside the restoration estimate, and ask about any differences.

How we help with the paperwork

Adjusters make decisions from documentation. On every water job, we provide:

• Dated photos of the damage, the source and the work as it happens
• Moisture maps and daily drying readings showing when materials reached dry standard
• An itemized list of materials removed and why
• An itemized repair estimate in a format adjusters are used to reviewing

We'll talk with your adjuster about the technical details of the job, such as what was wet, what was removed and why, so you're not stuck translating. You stay in charge of your claim. We document and explain the damage; we don't negotiate your settlement or act as a public adjuster. If you want someone to represent you in the claim, Pennsylvania licenses public adjusters for that.