Does Homeowners Insurance Pay For.septic Repair

Though they're technically outside of the abode, septic tanks count as part of your home's structure when it comes to home insurance, so information technology would be covered by your policy's home coverage . Your septic tank will only be covered if information technology'southward damaged past a covered peril, like fire, ice, or snow.

Dwelling coverage can cover harm to the body of your septic tank and to the pipes that connect the tank and your home — but information technology won't comprehend pipes that aren't connected to your dwelling house'southward construction. You may need to add together actress coverage to your policy if you desire coverage for broken pipes.

Fundamental Takeaways

Septic tanks that are damaged due to sudden, unexpected events are covered by your home insurance policy.
Wear and tear and maintenance issues with your septic tank are not covered past your habitation insurance.
Service line coverage and water backup coverage are coverages you lot can add to your policy to embrace the pipes attached to your tank and any damage that may be caused if one of them breaks.
To help preclude impairment, yous should take your septic tank inspected by a septic service professional every three to five years.

When does home insurance cover septic tanks?

Septic tanks are considered built-in home appliances, so your septic tank would exist covered past the dwelling house coverage component of your homeowners insurance policy in the upshot that it's suddenly damaged.

The damage must be sudden, meaning you couldn't have done anything to prevent information technology from happening. Below are a few covered perils that could damage your septic tank:

Fire harm
Freezing from extreme weather
Harm caused by a machine
Damage from the weight of equipment and people

At that place are several endorsements that you tin add to your policy for more coverage, like service line coverage and h2o backup coverage.

An insurance adjuster volition help determine damage

When you file a harm claim, your habitation insurance visitor will likely assign you an adjuster who will make up one's mind what caused the damage to your septic tank. They volition make up one's mind whether the damage is covered and how much your insurance company will pay out.

Can I become septic tank insurance?

There are no insurance policies written solely for septic tanks. You can expect into a home warranty, but before doing that consider adding these additional coverages to your abode policy.

Service line coverage

Septic tanks accept a few different pipes that make up the whole system, including one that transports sewage water from your home to the tank and another that delivers wastewater from the tank to a drainfield. Service line coverage covers damaged utility lines and pipes running through your property. You'd also exist covered if ane of the pipes attached to your septic tank is severed or damaged.

Service line coverage costs around $thirty a yr for $10,000 in coverage or $40 a year for $20,000 in coverage. Service line ruptures tin cost equally much as $2,500 to repair, so while the coverage is optional, it's typically a good idea to add information technology to your policy.

→ Learn more about service line coverage

H2o backup coverage

H2o backup coverage covers water damage acquired by a broken sump pump or backed-up bleed, which is not covered by a standard home insurance policy lone. It tin assist cover the cost of removing h2o from a flooded basement or replacing damaged furniture caused past a busted pipe fastened to your septic tank.

If you're looking for robust protection for your septic tank, the combination of home coverage, service line coverage, and water backup coverage together can pay for damage to your septic tank, severed pipelines, and any damage to your dwelling as a result of backed-upward sewage or water.

→ Larn more about water backup coverage

When doesn't homeowners insurance encompass septic tanks?

A standard homeowners insurance policy volition non cover regular vesture and tear to your septic tank and attached pipes; the impairment must exist considered sudden in order to exist covered by insurance.

Home insurance will also non cover damage to your septic tank caused by any of the below hazards:

Impairment from overuse
Earthquake
Flood
Maintenance issues
Neglect
Pests, like vermin or insects
H2o damage
Habiliment and tear

iv tips for maintaining your septic tank

Yous can prevent — or at least filibuster — damage to your septic tank with regular maintenance. A few ways to take care of your septic tank and get alee of cesspool harm include:

Inspect and pump it regularly. Take your septic tank inspected and pumped once every iii to 5 years by a septic service professional to brand sure everything is working properly.
Avert flushing not-biodegradable objects. Non-biodegradable objects include chemicals, paints, and cooking oil, amid others. When flushed down a toilet or drain, they can build up and cause your septic tank to fill up faster.
Dispose of waste material properly. The just things that should e'er be flushed down your toilets are human waste material and toilet paper, and then discard other paper goods and any not-biodegradable objects in trash cans to avoid clogging your septic tank.
Conserve more water. Wastewater from your dwelling gets treated in the septic tank before it'due south sent to a drainfield. By using water more effectively, you give your septic tank more time to care for the h2o and then information technology'due south not working on overdrive.

Stephanie Nieves is a onetime editor and insurance expert at Policygenius, where she covered home and auto insurance. Her work has also appeared in Business organization Insider, Money, HerMoney, PayScale, and The Muse.

Editor & Licensed Home Insurance Expert

Kara McGinley is an editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she writes about homeowners and renters insurance. As a announcer and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.