Introduction
One of the most common questions we hear from homeowners after a pipe bursts or a basement floods is: “Will my insurance cover this?” It’s a stressful moment. You’re already dealing with water in your home, and now you’re worried about what it’s going to cost.
At Water Pro Inc., we’ve walked hundreds of homeowners in Bloomington and across Southern Indiana through the insurance claims process. We know which situations are typically covered, which ones aren’t, and how to make sure you get the fairest outcome possible. In this post, we’re breaking it all down in plain language so you know exactly where you stand.
What’s Usually Covered (The Good News)
Here’s the thing most people don’t realize: standard homeowners insurance in Indiana actually covers a lot of water damage situations, as long as the damage is sudden and accidental. That’s the key phrase your insurance company is looking for.
So if a pipe bursts in the middle of the night, your washing machine line snaps while you’re at work, or your water heater gives out without warning, you’re typically covered. That includes both the emergency mitigation work (the water extraction, drying, and antimicrobial treatment our team handles) and the full restoration afterward (drywall, flooring, paint, trim, all of it).
Other commonly covered scenarios include ice dams pushing water through your roof, storm damage that lets rain inside, and even water used by firefighters to put out a covered fire.
What’s NOT Covered (And What to Watch For)
Now here’s where it gets tricky. There are several common water damage scenarios that most Indiana homeowners policies don’t cover unless you’ve added specific endorsements.
Flooding from outside your home — If water rises up from the ground during heavy rain, river overflow, or storm surge, that’s considered a flood. Standard policies don’t cover it. You’d need a separate flood insurance policy through the NFIP or a private carrier.
Sewer and drain backups — If sewage backs up into your basement through the drains, that’s typically excluded too. The good news is most carriers offer a sewer backup endorsement for around $50 to $150 a year. If you don’t have this, it’s worth adding. We see sewer backups regularly in older Bloomington homes.
Gradual leaks and deferred maintenance — If a slow drip under your sink has been going for months and finally rots through the subfloor, insurance will likely deny that claim. Their position is that regular maintenance should have caught it. The same goes for a roof that’s been leaking for years.
How to File a Water Damage Claim the Right Way
If water damage hits your home, the steps you take in the first few hours can make or break your insurance claim. Here’s what we tell every homeowner we work with:
Document everything first. Before you move furniture or start cleaning up, grab your phone and take photos and video of everything. Wide shots of the room, close-ups of the damage, the water line on the walls, damaged belongings, all of it. Adjusters love thorough documentation, and it protects you if there’s ever a dispute about the extent of the damage.
Call your insurance company right away. Most policies require prompt notification. Don’t wait a week. Call the same day, explain what happened, and get a claim number.
Call a professional restoration company. Your policy actually requires you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. That means getting the water extracted and the drying process started as soon as possible. Water Pro Inc is available 24/7 at (812) 269-4783 and we typically arrive within 30 to 60 minutes in the Bloomington area.
Keep every receipt. If you need to stay in a hotel, eat out, or buy emergency supplies, hang on to those receipts. Your policy’s Additional Living Expenses (ALE) coverage may reimburse you for those costs.
Understanding Your Deductible
Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in. In Indiana, standard deductibles typically range from $500 to $2,500. So on a $7,000 restoration project with a $1,000 deductible, your insurance would cover $6,000.
Some policies have separate, higher deductibles specifically for water damage. It’s worth checking your declarations page or calling your agent to confirm what yours is before you ever need to use it.
Additional Living Expenses: Don’t Forget This Coverage
If the water damage makes your home unlivable while it’s being restored, your policy likely includes Additional Living Expenses (ALE) coverage. This pays for reasonable costs above your normal expenses, things like hotel stays, restaurant meals, pet boarding, and laundry services.
Most Indiana policies provide ALE coverage equal to 20 to 30 percent of your dwelling coverage amount, which can add up to a significant amount of support during a multi-week restoration project.
How Water Pro Inc. Makes the Insurance Process Easier
This is something we take seriously, because we’ve seen how overwhelming the claims process can be for homeowners who are already dealing with damage to their home.
When you call Water Pro Inc., we don’t just show up and start pulling carpet. We document everything from day one with detailed photos, moisture readings, thermal imaging, and daily progress reports. All of that gets shared with your adjuster so they have the complete picture of what happened and what it takes to restore your home properly.
We write our estimates using Xactimate, the same software your insurance company uses, so there’s no confusion about line items or pricing. We communicate directly with your adjuster throughout the project. And we make sure all of our work meets IICRC standards, which is the industry benchmark insurance companies recognize and trust.
We work with all major carriers including State Farm, Allstate, Erie Insurance, Indiana Farm Bureau, Liberty Mutual, USAA, and many others.
Call Us Anytime
If you’re dealing with water damage in Bloomington, Indiana or anywhere in our service area, call Water Pro Inc. at (812) 269-4783. We provide 24/7 emergency response, free on-site assessments, and we’ll walk you through the entire insurance process step by step. The sooner you call, the more we can save.