Insurance coverage is very situationally dependent. Each policy from each different company will have different levels and types of coverage. The best way to know if your damage is covered is to keep a copy of your policy on hand and call your agent directly with any questions you might have.

As a homeowner, seeing your home damaged is extremely stressful and it’s difficult to know the right course of action. Will trying to clean up on your own help or just make things worse? No matter what kind of damage you’ve incurred, the very first thing you should do is take photographs as long as the area is safe for you to be in. If you have water damage, the best thing to do is extract as much standing water as you possibly can while you wait for help. If you have fans, set them to start drying things as much as possible. They won’t be enough to completely dry the area, but they can help to minimize the chance of secondary damages. In the event of mold or fire, it’s best to just leave the damage alone until a professional can address it. Disturbed mold can disperse spores throughout the home and fire damages can be made worse if improper cleaning techniques are used.

The length of time for proper restoration to occur is dependent on the type and size of the damage. A typical water damage usually takes 5-7 days for drying and removal of any unsalvageable materials. Mold remediation can take anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the extent of the damage. Fires cause the most extensive damage and can take weeks for restoration to be completed. Keep in mind, these are all estimates and they’re only for the restoration portion of the job. The rebuilding portion of the job, where everything is put back into place, has its own separate process and timeline.

Most homeowner’s policies cover most water damages, but not all water damages are created equal. There can be a lot of exceptions to coverage depending on the intricacies of your policy. This is why it’s a good idea to be familiar with your policy and call your agent right away when a damage occurs.

Most homeowners try to unclog drains themselves initially, and, depending on the severity and reason of the blockage, they might be successful. Unfortunately, some chemical products on the market today claim to unclog drains but end up damaging and corroding the interior of the pipe or degrade the materials at the pipe joints. A mini auger or drain snake can be used, but their operation can be rather tricky and awkward.

Hot grease may pour easily down a drain, but when it cools, it solidifies and sticks to the sides of your pipe, reducing its diameter, slowing water pressure, and causing a bottleneck that encourages clogs. Other foreign materials like objects (jewelry, toys, etc.) or pieces of food waste can also enter the drain and the pipes below, but will become trapped at the next bend in the plumbing. While some water will still drain through the pipe, the bottleneck and partial blockage will drastically slow down the drain.

Sediment build up over time can reduce the efficiency of your water heater to the point where you notice you're not getting enough hot water, especially if you are demanding hot water from more than one or two spots in your home. Other culprits can include temperature sensor failures and problems with the heating element. Water heater manufacturers recommend that you schedule regular maintenance checks with a licensed plumber in order to keep your system in top condition. Industry estimates for water heaters are between six and 13 years for conventional tank water heaters. Tankless water heaters tend to last longer.

Some plumbing repairs can't wait for regular office hours because your plumbing system is a key element to your building's sanitary conditions and habitability. If you have a sewage backup, for instance, repairing the cause can't wait. If a broken or leaking pipe is causing your home to flood, you'll have to shut off the water main, and you won't be able to have running water or flushing toilets until the pipe is repaired.