Here are a few points to consider when thinking about your home insurance coverage for basement flooding:

• Does your home insurance policy cover sewer backup damage?

• Did you know that the vast majority of Canadian homeowners are not covered for damages caused by overland flooding or infiltration flooding?

• There have been cases where homeowners who have made repeated claims for sewer backup damage have experienced capping of their eligible sewer backup payouts, or cancellation of sewer backup coverage altogether.

Talk to your insurance provider or broker to find out about what types of flood damages are covered under your policy. Trying to make a claim after you have suffered basement flood damages is not a good way to find out that you didn’t have the proper coverage, or that some types of flooding are uninsurable.

You should also make sure that your insurance policy is up-to-date, and reflects any up-grades or renovations you have made to your home. This will increase the chances that you will receive an adequate payout from your insurance company when you make an insurance claim.