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Do Insurance Companies Cover Trenchless Epoxy Pipe Lining, And If So, Which Ones?

 

  • Was your house built before 1975?

  • Do you have cast iron drain lines?

  • Do you have sink, toilet, shower back-ups or overflows?

  • Do you have sinks, toilets or showers that don’t drain properly?

  • Do you have water damage to drywall, vanity, or door casings?

  • Do you have water damage to flooring, broken tiles, or loose tiles?

  • Do you have a valid homeowner’s insurance policy?

Don't Excavate Floors To Replace Old Pipes!

Overview

Whether or not insurance companies cover the cost of trenchless epoxy pipe lining will depend on several factors, including the specific insurance policy, the cause of the pipe damage, and the extent of the repairs needed.

Some insurance policies may cover the cost of trenchless epoxy pipe lining, but it’s important to check with your insurance provider to determine what is covered under your specific policy. Some policies may cover the cost of repairs for pipe damage caused by events such as natural disasters or accidents, while others may cover routine maintenance or preventative repairs.

Major insurance companies that may offer coverage for trenchless epoxy pipe lining include State Farm, Allstate, Geico, and Progressive, among others. However, the coverage and specific terms of each policy can vary widely, so it’s important to carefully review your policy and speak with your insurance provider to determine what is covered.

It’s also important to note that insurance companies may have specific requirements or recommendations for repair methods and contractors, so be sure to follow these guidelines to ensure that any repairs are covered by your policy.

In conclusion, whether or not insurance companies pay for trenchless epoxy pipe lining will depend on the specific policy and circumstances of the pipe damage. It’s important to check with your insurance provider to determine what is covered under your policy and to follow any guidelines or recommendations provided by your insurance company.

More Specifically

  1. Some insurance companies will only pay for the pipe replacement, not the actual excavation, or the concrete replacement, or the floor surface repair.

  2. They will send out their own private adjuster to come and assess how much damage there is, and how much they will award you. It is important that you get what is known as a “public adjuster”. They won’t charge you a penny unless you are awarded damages by the insurance company.

  3. There are many benefits of using a public adjuster. For example, they know how to deal with unscrupulous insurance companies, and more importantly, they will attempt to obtain the value of pipe excavation, concrete replacement and floor surface repair, which is typically around $70,000 for a 2,000 square foot home, for which the adjuster will obtain a fee of 15 to 20% of that amount.

  4. Once you have received payment from the insurance company, you are free to use trenchless epoxy pipelining, which for 2000 square foot house only takes about three or four days, has a 50-year warranty, and costs about $20,000.

 

Should you get a public adjuster?

The answer is, absolutely! They are definitely worth the money given that the stakes are so large. The bigger the claim the more proficient insurance companies are at finding ways to deny claims. The public adjusters a truly a blessing in this industry.

 

They will gather all the information regarding damages, and will recommend a sewer scope inspection, that will reveal the conditions of the cast iron pipes. The public adjuster will be able to technically describe the problems to the insurance company.

 

The average layman has no idea what they’re looking at when examining the Sewer Scope results. Insurance companies absolutely do, and they will find ways to pass the blame on to somebody or something else. So the experience of the public adjuster is absolutely essential for this type of claim. We highly recommend however, that when choosing a public adjuster, that you inquire whether they have had any experience with cast iron pipe claims.

 

Why do insurance companies deny cast iron pipe insurance claims?

These are some of the common reasons:

  1. Policy has special exclusion or endorsement that reads ” no coverage for cast iron pipe claims”

  2. Policy has special endorsement that limits cast iron pipe damage claims to $10,000 or less

  3. Adjuster will cite language like “wear and tear”

  4. Caused by constant or repeated seepage or leakage of water

 

Essentially, since 2016 insurance companies have created ways not to cover cast iron pipe claims. We usually recommend that the homeowner do a few things:

  • Contact a plumber to video the line

  • A temporary repair should be done so that the situation doesn’t get worse

  • Call a water mitigation company to have any water damage taken care of so mold doesn’t develop or damages get worse

  • Make sure you notify the insurance company–Simply tell them you have a cast iron pipe damage claim you need to make and what the damages are so far

However, before contacting the insurance company I would highly recommend to contact a public adjuster so that you can talk about the claim and what rights you have under the homeowners insurance policy.

Finally, make sure you document all the damages by video and pictures. Take notes of any personal property damaged, what the plumber told you, and the conversation with any representative from the insurance company.