Glossary

Water damage exclusion

Policy language that excludes certain kinds of water loss, either the standard flood, backup and groundwater group or a broader endorsement an insurer adds.

Also called: water exclusion, non-weather water damage exclusion

"Water damage exclusion" can mean two different things, and your declarations page and endorsements tell you which one applies. The first is the standard Water exclusion in Section I of the ISO homeowners form. It removes flood, surface water, tides, sewer or drain backup, sump overflow and water below the ground that seeps through foundations or walls. Ordinary plumbing leaks and storm-opened roof leaks are not in that group.

The second is an endorsement that some insurers attach to a particular policy to limit or remove coverage for non-weather water damage, such as plumbing or appliance leaks. Insurers may add one to homes with aging plumbing or a history of water claims, and it can show up at renewal.

Say a washing machine hose bursts and floods two rooms (hypothetical). Under the standard form that is a covered accidental discharge. With a broad water damage exclusion endorsement, the same claim could be denied or capped at a low limit.

Read every endorsement when the policy renews, and ask your agent in writing whether a water exclusion applies, whether it can be bought back, and whether a water backup coverage endorsement is available. The guide is water damage covered by homeowners insurance? sorts out which water losses are paid.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Flood exclusion The standard homeowners provision that excludes flood, surface water, tides and overflowing water bodies, leaving flood damage to a separate flood policy. Surface water Rain or melted snow that spreads across the ground without a defined channel, treated as flood damage and excluded from homeowners policies. Water backup coverage An optional add-on that pays for damage when water or sewage comes up through drains or sewers, or when a sump pump fails or overflows. Sudden and accidental Wording insurers use to separate covered, abrupt losses such as a burst pipe from slow, foreseeable damage like a leak that has dripped for months. Exclusion A policy provision that removes coverage for a stated cause, type of loss, property or circumstance that the coverage would otherwise reach. Endorsement A written change attached to a policy that adds, removes or alters coverage, limits or conditions, and controls over the base form wherever the two conflict.

Related guides

Anti-concurrent causation clauses explained One policy sentence can bar a whole loss if an excluded cause like flood played any part. How it works, which states limit it, and how to document a claim. Foundation cracks and settling: what's covered A standard homeowners policy excludes settling, soil movement and water pressure, so cause decides whether foundation damage is paid. What is covered. Is water damage covered by homeowners insurance? Sudden water from a burst pipe or failed appliance is usually covered; flood, sewer backup, sump overflow and slow leaks usually are not. How to tell which. Polybutylene, galvanized and other pipes insurers dislike Which pipes make insurers decline, restrict or ask for a repipe, what a leak from them is covered for, and how to document a fix or shop for coverage. Sump pump failure and basement flooding Sump pump failure, groundwater and surface water are excluded from a standard homeowners policy. What an endorsement or flood policy adds to a basement. Water backup and sewer backup coverage Standard homeowners policies exclude sewer and drain backup. A water backup endorsement adds it back, usually with a low limit. What it covers and what to buy.