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Patrick Ginnelly & Co. Property Claims Assessors Patrick Ginnelly & Co. Property Claims Assessors

Escape of Water and Burst Pipe Claims

Water sprays over a metal pipe
Illustrative images only.

An escape of water is water that leaks or bursts out of a pipe, tank or appliance inside a building. A burst pipe or a hidden leak can damage ceilings, walls, floors and the contents of your home or business. The damage can spread through a building before anyone sees it.

Common causes and signs

Common causes are:

  • a burst pipe, often from frozen pipes in cold spells
  • a hose or seal that fails on a washing machine or dishwasher
  • a leaking radiator, hot press, cylinder or attic tank
  • a leak from a shower, bath or toilet
  • a hidden leak under a floor or in an underground pipe

Signs include stains or bubbling on ceilings and walls, a damp or musty smell, warped floors, mould, a drop in water pressure, and a water meter that keeps running when nothing is in use.

What an escape of water claim can cover?

A kitchen with the floor lifted and a pipe laid in a trench beside the units
Illustrative images only.

Depending on your policy, a claim can include:

  • the cost of finding the leak, often called trace and access
  • opening up and repairing floors, walls and ceilings
  • drying out the building
  • repair or replacement of damaged floors, plaster, joinery and kitchens
  • repair or replacement of damaged contents
  • alternative accommodation while the work is done, where the policy includes it
  • for a business, lost income and extra costs

Some policies cover the damage that the water caused but not the cost of repairing the pipe itself. Your policy wording says what applies to you.

What to do first?

  1. Turn off the water at the stopcock if you can do so safely. Keep away from electrics that the water has reached.
  2. Take photos and video of the damage and of the source of the leak, if you can find it.
  3. Keep the damaged pipe or part, and keep damaged items, until your insurer has seen them.
  4. Keep receipts for the plumber, drying and any other emergency costs.
  5. Read your policy for notice conditions. Tell your insurer as soon as you can, and within any time limit in your policy.

Where escape of water claims get difficult

  • Finding the leak. Hidden leaks can take time to trace. The work of opening up floors and walls is a cost to agree with the insurer.
  • Drying. Water that stays in a building leads to mould and more damage. Agreeing the drying plan and its cost is a common point of dispute.
  • Gradual leaks. An insurer may treat a slow leak differently from a sudden burst. Many policies cover sudden damage but not damage from long-term seepage.
  • Which section applies. Some water claims fit under more than one part of a policy, and this can change the terms and the excess.
  • Contents and finishes. Agreeing which items to repair and which to replace takes detail.

How we help

As Loss Assessors, we act for you, not for your insurer. We report the claim, meet the loss adjuster at your property, put together the detailed costs of the repairs and replacements, and deal with your insurer until the claim is settled.

Not sure which claim fits? Contact us and tell us what happened.