Three kinds of water, three answers
Sudden pipe bursts
Commerce says a standard homeowners policy typically covers water damage from burst pipes. It may not if the house was left unoccupied without heat, or if the damage came from a slow leak over a long time. (Commerce)
Sewer and sump backups
Neither flood insurance nor a typical homeowners policy covers sewer backups, according to Commerce. A separate endorsement is needed, its terms vary by company, and some exclude a backup that happens together with a flood. (Commerce)
Floods and surface water
Commerce states that a homeowners policy excludes flood damage, and that a sewer or sump endorsement is not flood insurance. The City of Minneapolis notes that flood policies typically have a 30-day waiting period. (city fact sheet)
If you claim
Steps Commerce recommends
Notify quickly
Contact your insurer or agent right away, have your policy number ready and get a claim number.
Limit the damage
Make emergency repairs such as removing standing water and drying materials. Keep receipts.
Document
Photos or video of the damage, and a detailed list of damaged property for the adjuster.
Keep the evidence
Hold on to damaged items until the adjuster has inspected them.
Wait on permanent repairs
Don't rebuild until the insurer has seen the damage.
Questions
Insurance questions
Will my insurer pay for the restoration contractor?
Only your policy and your insurer can answer that. Many policies cover sudden water damage; many exclude flood and sewer backup unless an endorsement was added.
Should I call it a flood?
The Commerce release on burst pipes suggests not calling pipe damage a flood, because flood damage is excluded from standard policies. Describe exactly what happened.
Can this site help with my claim?
No. It connects you with a contractor. Claims are between you and your insurer; the Department of Commerce has consumer guides and a complaint line.
Basement, ceiling, smoke or mold
Talk it through with a local restoration contractor
A single call reaches an independent contractor who handles water, fire and mold jobs around Minneapolis. They will ask questions, may come out to look, and give you their own price. Hiring them is your choice.
Water where it shouldn't be?
The call goes to an independent restoration contractor that takes jobs in Minneapolis and the nearby suburbs. Have the source, the wet rooms and the start time in mind.
Call (612) 471-0822Calls may be recorded. How the line is paid: referral disclosure. How call data is handled: privacy.