Imagine coming home one day to a sewage or water backup in your home. Depending on the extent of the damage, it could be costly to clean, repair and replace the damaged items in your home, not to mention the cost to fix the damaged lines or pipes. Standard homeowners insurance is not likely to cover this type of damage unless you have gotten a specific endorsement to cover it. Since any type of water damage can be costly, it might be worth your while to see what options your home insurance company has for this type of coverage and consider purchasing it to protect your finances.

Simply put, sewer backup insurance covers damages arising from standing sewage in your bathtub, toilet, basement or anywhere else in your house. Depending on the cause of the backup, sewer backup coverage helps pay for the cost of repairing your sewer line (up to the city’s sewer line) and ridding your house of sewage and water. Some other names this coverage may be known by include water backup insurance, sewer backup and drain line backup coverage.

No, a homeowners insurance policy does not automatically include sewer backup coverage. However, many home insurance companies offer it as an optional coverage, or endorsement, which is an add-on to the standard homeowners insurance policy. The endorsement offers a certain amount of coverage that will pay for sewer or water backup claims.

For instance, here are two cases of sewer backup that would likely be covered by your homeowners policy if you were to select the sewer backup coverage endorsement:

Sewage backing into your house can be the result of several factors. Whether it is only a small leak or ankle-deep flooding, sewer backups can result in expensive damages to your property. Some common reasons include:

Sewer backup insurance typically covers damage to the sewer line running from your house to the city main. It also covers the expense of having standing sewage removed from your house and repairing the damage caused by it, up to coverage limits. Do bear in mind that sewer backup insurance does not cover a faulty or damaged plumbing system in your house; this is sometimes included in a standard dwelling coverage but could vary by provider.

Sewer backup insurance may also not cover damages that happen gradually over time due to lack of maintenance. Some providers may also not cover standing sewage on your property if it was the fault of your municipality and not your own sewer system. Make sure to read the fine print before you purchase sewer backup coverage so you are clear on the circumstances that it applies to.

Sewer backup coverage is also distinctly different from flood insurance, which is a separate form of insurance and not included in a standard homeowners insurance policy. Sewer backup flooding as a cause of loss is directly tied to the septic system and would not be accounted for in your flood insurance. Flood damage not related to your sewer lines or septic system is not covered by your sewer backup insurance.

It depends on the type of flooding and the original cause of the flooding. If your septic backs up causing flooding in a room of your house, this should be covered. But if flooding is the result of anything not related to the septic system or water lines in your house, it may need to be covered by a separate flood insurance policy, such as one sold by the National Flood Insurance Program or through various home insurance companies.

There are signs of sewer backup you should not ignore that can alert you to a problem before it causes damage to your home and belongings. If you notice that one or more drains are draining slower than usual, gurgling noises are coming from a drain, water is backing up into the tub or shower or any unusual odors are coming from drains, sinks or showers, you could have a clog or other problem that could lead to a sewage or water backup. Once you notice any of these signs, contact a plumber to assess the problem and provide a solution to potentially avoid any water or sewer damage.

On average, sewer backup coverage can cost anywhere between $50 and $250 per year, depending upon the coverage limits you choose and how risky the build and location of your house is deemed by your insurer. Depending on whether you opt to add water or sewer backup to your home insurance policy, or if you choose just the service line maintenance coverage, the impact to rates will vary accordingly. With all insurance products, prices may vary by insurance company, as well.