What Insurance Covers (and What It Doesn’t Cover)

The sky screams, the mercury plummets, and your house groans under the weight of a “bomb storm.” While meteorologists love fancy words, there’s nothing poetic about the sound of a pipe breaking in your basement or your roof creaking under a foot of frozen slush.

When the wind stops howling, the real storm begins: the insurance claim. Most homeowners think they are fully covered for whatever Mother Nature throws their way. The reality is very different, and if you’re not careful, an “avoidable” maintenance problem could leave you paying for a five-figure building all by yourself.

Here’s exactly what you can expect from your insurance when the snow melts.

Pipes are frozen and burst

When water freezes inside the pipe, it expands with enough force to separate copper and plastic alike. The resulting pollution can cause an average of more than $11,000 in damages, according to industry data.

• Installation: Standard policies usually cover “sudden and accidental” discharges. This means that if a pipe suddenly bursts, the insurance company will likely pay to dry out your home, replace damaged drywall, and repair your hardwood floors. As long as the water starts inside the home, you are usually on solid ground.
• Catching the “heat”: That’s where they found you. Many insurers require that you maintain “reasonable care” for the property. If you turned off the heat to save a few bucks while visiting family, or if you left a vacation home unheated, a claim could be denied for negligence. Most experts recommend keeping the thermostat set to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The pipe itself: In a frustrating twist on the concept of insurance, many policies cover water damage but won’t pay for actual plumbing or a plumber to weld a break.

The roof is collapsing with the weight of the snow

A cubic foot of fresh snow weighs about 20 pounds, but packed snow and slush from a “bomb cyclone” can weigh much more. If that weight causes your rafters to disintegrate, you’re looking at a major structural claim.

• Installation: Most standard homeowner’s policies cover roof collapse caused by the weight of snow, ice, or sleet. This includes damage to your personal property inside the house that is crushed or submerged in a cave.
• Fix trap: If an adjuster goes up there and finds that your roof is 30 years old, rotting, or has pre-existing damage, they may argue that the ice was just the “final straw” of a failing structure. In that case, they may pay only a small portion of the costs or deny the claim entirely.
• Ice dams: This happens when the heat escaping from your attic melts the ice on the roof, which then freezes in colder areas, creating a real pond. While the resulting water damage is often covered, the cost of removing the ice dam itself is often considered a maintenance expense—meaning it’s on you.

Flooding versus water damage

This is the most common point of confusion—and the most expensive mistake you can make when talking to an adjuster.

• Groundwater is the enemy: If the snow from a hurricane melts quickly and seeps into your foundation or flows under your front door, standard homeowners insurance won’t cover it. That’s defined as “flooding,” which requires a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
• View your language: Never tell your insurer that your basement is “flooded” if water comes from a burst pipe. Use the term “water damage.” Using the word “flood” can trigger an automatic negation before you even finish the sentence.

Food spoilage and power outages

If a storm knocks out the grid, the contents of your fridge are at risk.

• $500 limit: Most policies provide $500 for food damage if the outage is caused by a covered peril (such as a tree falling on a power line).
• The deductible dilemma: Before filing a claim for $300 worth of steaks, check your deductible. If your deductible is $1,000, you won’t get a dime, and you’ll have a claim on your record that can raise your premiums later.

Beware of “storm chasers”

After they run out of breath, the crooks come out. Beware of contractors who show up at your door uninvited offering you a “free” roof inspection or promising to handle your insurance claim. These winter storm scams can leave you with a link to your home or a completed repair. Always call your insurance company first and use their list of preferred, licensed contractors.