Burst Pipe Insurance Claim - The Best Tips & Tricks To Save You £££'s

A burst pipe insurance claim is one of the most common types of domestic insurance claims, with the average cost of burst pipe damage costing homeowners £7,000. A burst pipe can happen anywhere in your home, and is more likely to occur during the cold months of Winter and early Spring. 

We’ve compiled the best tips and tricks to help you manage your burst pipe insurance claim to ensure you receive a fair settlement. Insurance companies often attempt to offer you the minimum settlement figure, in the hope you do not negotiate. We’re here to advise you on how best to manage your burst pipe insurance claim so you receive the money you need to repair your home, and save you thousands.

What To Expect With A Burst Pipe Insurance Claim

Expect your insurer to investigate all the details surrounding your burst pipe claim. Before making a claim, it is important to learn about the situation of the burst pipe in your house. This will prevent confusion when asked about it.

Conditions such as freezing weather, the heating of your home, and the condition of the pipes are all likely to be questioned. Arm yourself with knowledge about these facts and circumstances so that you’re able to give confident and clear answers when submitting your insurance claim. 

Homeowners insurance typically covers ‘escape of water’ damage caused by a burst pipe, but this may not be true for every policy. It depends on the specific terms of your policy and the exact circumstances of your situation. Insurance providers will usually award a settlement for a burst pipe insurance claim when the water damage occurs suddenly and accidentally.  Therefore, insurance may not cover a slow leak over a longer period of time.

After you’ve submitted your burst pipe insurance claim your insurer will send out a loss adjuster to assess the damage and report back to the insurance company. The loss adjuster works on behalf of your insurance company.

Your insurance company will provide you with a settlement figure based on their loss adjusters’ evaluations, likely to be the minimum necessary to cover the cost of restoring your home to its original condition. Your insurer will not expect you to negotiate the figure, so equip yourself with knowledge and use the following tips to confidently mediate a decent and proper settlement figure.

Understand Your Policy For A Burst Pipe Insurance Claim

According to the Association of British Insurers, water damage is usually covered in your buildings insurance policy under, ‘Escape of Water’. This can include burst pipes, leaking appliances, or an overflowing toilet. Escape of water damage is one of the most common types of domestic insurance claims, with insurance companies compensating £1.8 million every day for water damage in domestic properties.

However, it’s important to be aware that whilst water damage is usually covered as standard by your insurance provider, it may not be covered by every policy.

Check the small print of your home insurance policy so you know exactly what you are covered for in the event of a burst pipe in your home. Insurance policies can be complicated and evasive in their wording, so it’s a good idea to ask an independent loss assessor to look over the small print of your policy for you, such as Oakleafe Claims to ensure you and your home are protected.

How To Best Manage Your Burst Pipe Insurance Claim

In the unfortunate event of a burst pipe and water damage at your property, there are things you can do to assist a smooth and fair insurance claim procedure. Contact an independent professional such as a loss assessor like Oakleafe who can provide support and advice about your personal circumstances and insurance claim. Loss assessors work for you to help you receive a full and fair insurance claim settlement.

Take detailed notes of the circumstances surrounding the burst pipe such as; the location of the burst pipe in your home, the extent of the damage, rooms and property affected, and if possible the likely cause of the burst pipe, e.g freezing temperatures. 

Take photographs and videos of the damage to rooms and property; document as much as you can. This will keep details fresh in your mind and act as a reference to refresh the details at a later date if necessary.

All documents will also provide evidence to your insurance company about the situation of your burst pipe claim. Keep all items of damaged property and evidence with you until after your claim has been settled, to ensure all necessary items are accounted for and replacement approved. Detailed and organised facts about your burst pipe claim will help you to stay confident and consistent throughout your claim process.

Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible after learning of your burst pipe, as your insurer may have specified time limits within the terms of your policy regarding submission of claims. Give clear details of your burst pipe and the damage to help prevent potential ambiguous notes about your claim, that could later be disputed and argued in favour of your insurance company.

Top Tips For Getting Your Burst Pipe Insurance Claim Accepted

Understand your insurance policy, if necessary with the help of a loss assessor so you’re confident and able to dispute any falsehoods with your insurer. Let your insurer know you understand your policy, position and rights; your claim is more likely to be handled fairly and in good time.

Familiarising yourself with the details of your policy and the insurance claims process also means you’re aware and knowledgeable about specific guidelines to follow for your burst pipe insurance claim. If you do not adhere to such guidelines you could invalidate your claim.

File your burst pipe claim as soon as possible to prevent possible ‘get out’ clauses applying in favour of your insurance provider. It’s also important to save all correspondence with your insurance provider: keep a record of all the details relating to telephone calls such as, dates, times, names of contacts, and topic of conversation. Save all email messages to a dedicated file, and never throw away written letters.

Keep copies of all letters, and emails you send too. This will provide you with evidence and a full case should your burst pipe insurance claim come under dispute.

Your insurance company is required to compensate you for the full and total cost of repairing your home to its pre-loss state; including related costs like meals, alternative accommodation and transportation if your home is uninhabitable. Keep receipts and relevant documents about all related costs to your claim and make sure they’re repaid as part of your settlement.

Provide as much clear and detailed information about your claim as possible to prevent hold-ups. If you take charge of your burst pipe claim; remain organised, confident and knowledgeable, you’ll be able to lead the case and negotiate the right settlement figure to repair and refund all costs associated with your burst pipe insurance claim.

Conclusion

Burst pipe insurance claims are very common and can cost homeowners £7,000 on average to repair the damage caused to their homes. Therefore it's important to make sure your home is properly insured, and in the event of a claim, you receive the correct settlement figure so that you’re not left thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Essentially you need to be as prepared as possible; so you can adequately and confidently answer questions surrounding your claim from your insurer, provide evidence to support your claim, and assuredly negotiate the settlement figure. There are experts available to support and advise you with part or all of your burst pipe insurance claim like us at Oakleafe Claims, if you find yourself in need of further guidance.