Water damage and insurance: what is covered?
Water damage can be very costly. Often your insurance will cover (part of) the damage — provided you document it properly. Here's how to approach it.
Whether water damage is covered depends on the cause and your policy. Buildings insurance covers damage to the property itself, contents insurance your belongings. A clear investigation report with established cause and photos often makes the difference in a claim.
How to increase the chance of reimbursement
Good documentation counts for more than you think.
Report the damage promptly
Report water damage to your insurer as soon as possible — many policies require notification within a few days of discovery.
Have the cause identified
A sudden, unforeseen cause (such as a burst pipe) is usually covered; gradual lack of maintenance often is not. So have the cause established.
Take photos before clearing up
Document the situation before you dry or clear up. The insurer needs to be able to assess the damage.
Keep damaged items
Don't throw away damaged contents immediately — keep them until after the assessment.
Request an investigation report
A report with established cause, photos and repair estimate supports your claim professionally. We can provide that if required.
Buildings or contents?
Damage to walls and floors falls under buildings insurance, damage to furniture and appliances under contents insurance. Often both apply.
Sudden or gradual: that's often what it comes down to
What you need to know before reporting the damage. What's exactly covered is always stated in your own policy.
No policy is the same. Yet insurers almost always look at the same questions when it comes to water damage: what was the cause, when did it occur and could it have been prevented? If you can document this well, the claim usually goes more smoothly. No one can promise cover in advance: that depends on your policy. Check with your insurer.
Sudden or gradual
A pipe that suddenly bursts is different from a sealant joint that's been letting moisture through for a long time. With damage that's developed gradually, an insurer often looks at maintenance and wear and tear. That's why it's important that the cause is clearly established and documented.
The cause and the consequential damage
Insurers often distinguish between the cause itself (for example, the broken pipe) and the damage it causes (the wet ceiling, the floor, your belongings). The costs of locating the leak and of opening up and repairing the wall or floor are also treated differently per policy. Ask your insurer what is covered in your case.
Who reports what?
- Owner of a house: damage to the property is reported to the buildings insurance, damage to your belongings to the contents insurance.
- Tenant: damage to your belongings is covered by your contents insurance. Always report the leak to your landlord immediately as well; the property itself is usually their responsibility.
- Flat: often the owners' association (VvE) has buildings insurance for the property. If the water comes from the neighbours, or if it leaks from your place downwards, report it to the neighbours and the VvE as well.
If a loss adjuster visits
For larger damage, the insurer sometimes sends an expert. Make sure you have photos from before the clean-up, an overview of damaged items with purchase receipts if you have them, and the plumber's report to hand. Also keep broken parts and damaged items until after the assessment.
What you may do immediately
Waiting to take action until the insurer responds is not the intention. Stopping a leak and limiting damage is precisely what you should do immediately. Do consult your insurer before major repair work such as a new floor or new plastering. Read more about how we help under water damage.
Is roof leakage covered by insurance?
With a leaking roof, the insurer mainly looks at the cause: a sudden event or wear and tear.
Storm or wear and tear
If part of the roof blows off in a storm or roof tiles come loose, the damage often falls under buildings insurance. Many policies define storm as approximately force 7 or higher. If the roof leaks because the roofing is old, the sealant has dried out or the gutter has been blocked for a long time, the insurer usually sees this as deferred maintenance. You then pay for that repair yourself.
The roof itself and the damage inside
Even if the repair of the roof itself is not covered, the damage inside sometimes is: a wet ceiling or damaged belongings. This varies by policy. Therefore always report it and have the cause documented.
Tenant or VvE
If you're renting, the roof is the landlord's responsibility; report the leak as soon as possible. If you live in a flat, the roof usually falls under the owners' association (VvE) and its buildings insurance.
What to do immediately
Catch the water, move belongings away and take photos of the spot indoors and, if it's safe, of the roof. Never climb onto the roof yourself in a storm. For roof repairs you can contact our colleagues at roof leaks at Panddokter.
Leak in the bathroom and the insurance
A leak in the bathroom is often difficult to see and sometimes develops slowly. That's why the question here is often "sudden or gradual".
What's often covered
If a pipe suddenly bursts or a coupling suddenly comes loose, the damage to floor, ceiling or walls is usually covered. Often the buildings insurance also reimburses the costs of locating the leak and of opening up and making good tiles or flooring.
What is often not covered
If water has been leaking for months along a dried-out sealant joint, a cracked joint or a poorly installed shower floor, the insurer will often call that gradual damage or poor maintenance. As a rule, you pay for the repair of the sealant joint or the joints yourself.
How to strengthen your claim
Have the cause documented by a tradesman, with photos and a description of where the leak was. With leak detection we find the spot without unnecessary breaking work, and you receive a report that you can use with your damage claim. Read more about tracing in bathroom leak.
Related services
Need help? View the related service or call us directly.
Good to know
Short answers to questions we're often asked.
That varies per policy. Insurers often distinguish between the cause itself and the damage the water has caused. Whether the repair of the pipe, the leak detection and the breaking-out and repair work are covered can be found in your policy terms. Check with your insurer.
For your own belongings, that's usually your contents insurance. The property itself, such as pipes, walls and ceilings, usually falls under the landlord's responsibility. Therefore always report a leak directly to your landlord as well.
That depends on the cause and on the policies of all parties involved. Report the damage to your own insurer, notify the upstairs neighbours and, in an apartment building, also the owners' association (VvE). Document together what happened and take photos.
Stopping a leak and limiting the damage is something you may do immediately; it's usually even expected of you. Do take photos first, keep broken parts and consult your insurer before having larger repair work carried out.
Where the leak was, what the cause was, which measurement methods were used, photos of the situation and advice for repair. Such a report helps your insurer assess the damage. Whether and how much is reimbursed is decided by the insurer based on your policy.
Need help in The Hague or the Randstad?
Feel free to call us for advice or an appointment. In emergencies we're available 24/7.