Title: DIY Plumbing Repair - You Have Homeowners Insurance, Use It!
Author: Ray Breitenbach
Article :
Since most home owners insurance policies don't cover the cost
of repairs few people think to check with them when plumbing
problems occur. Although they may not cover the repair, they
will usually cover the value of damaged property including
cleaning up after the repair. The scope of this type of project
is typically not a diy plumbing repair project so you will want
to find any way you can to help pay for it.
A few years ago I had the misfortune of finding water seeping
through a wall in my basement one spring. First this was blamed
on a very wet season. Next, when dry weather came around and the
leak was still there a basement waterproofing contractor was
called in. It was no suprise when this contractor informed me
that I had ground water and needed their expensive services.
Since the company had a vested interest in me believing this
they did not seem to feel the need to offer any other possible
explanation. Based on the fact that the remaining 95% of the
basement walls had no such problem a third opinion was in
order.
Based on the proximity of the leak to the primary kitchen drain
pipes a third contractor was called. After a short examination,
the plumbing contractor was able to determine that the kitchen
drain pipe was leaking (not where we could access it easily of
course but behind a cinder block wall under a concrete
slab).
The plumbing contractor then made an unexpected suggestion -
call my insurance company before starting the repair. That was
when he explained that the company would not pay for the repair,
but they would pay for the cost of jack hammering up my living
room, hall, and/or office floor to find the leak and cleaning up
afterwards. He was also able to suggest an alternative solution
that was cleaner and much less expensive and present it to the
insurance company.
Two repair scenarios were proposed.
The first project would involved having the plumbing contractor
find the leak under the living room slab, repair the drain pipe,
and then replace the concrete and flooring to clean up after the
project. As would be expected the estimate for this repair was
on the high side ($4000+ by the time all the cleanup work would
have been completed).
The second repair was considerably less intrusive - they would
cap off the existing drain line (kitchen only) and re-route it
through the joist's in the basement and re-connect it to the
main line outside the house. The only "heavy" work in this
proposal was cutting a 6 inch hole in the exterior wall and
digging a trench to run the new pipe to be reconnected. The
remainder of the work amounted to a fairly simple plumbing
repair. The net cost for this repair was about half the first
proposal
With both of these proposals on hand, the insurance company had
no problem in justifying payment for the FULL SECOND OPTION
(less deductable of course). The insurance company saved money,
the home owner saved money, and the repair was accomplished
within 2 days with a minimum of cleanup required.
This entire project demonstrated the value of a good plumbing
contractor. They were able to quickly identify the problem,
propose multiple solutions, and help justify the payment by the
insurance company.
This repair also demonstrated the value of a insurance company.
The insurance company was willing to accept and pay for an
alternative solution as well as inform the home owner of all the
valid expenses that should be recorded for reimbursement.
About the author:
Ray Breitenbach writes for Simple Home Repairs.
Please visit for more information on how to perform you own
basic home repairs.
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