Glossary
Sewer backup coverage, defined
An endorsement that pays for damage when wastewater rises up through drains, toilets or a sump pit into the home, whether from a blocked municipal line, a failed sump pump or tree roots in the lateral.
In practice
Standard home policies exclude water that backs up through sewers or drains and water that overflows a sump. This endorsement buys it back, usually with its own limit and sometimes its own deductible. It is not flood coverage: surface water entering from outside remains excluded and needs a flood policy. Basements, finished lower levels and slab homes with floor drains are the exposures, and the loss is mostly flooring, drywall, contents and cleanup by a remediation firm. Prices are modest, and the limit should match the finished value of the lowest level. Carriers may ask whether a backflow valve or a battery backup on the sump pump is installed.
A worked example
Suppose a city main clogs during a storm and raw sewage fills a family's finished basement. Cleanup is $8,000, flooring and drywall $14,000 and ruined furniture $6,000. With a $25,000 endorsement limit and a $500 deductible, the policy pays $24,500 and the family absorbs the rest. Hypothetical.
Applies to: Home InsuranceFlood Insurance