A standard Texas homeowners policy often covers sudden and accidental water damage, such as a burst pipe, and usually does not cover long-term leaks, flood or sewer and drain backup without an added endorsement. Your insurer decides coverage under your own policy, so read it, photograph the damage and call early.
Key takeaways
- A standard homeowners policy often covers sudden and accidental water damage, and usually excludes long-term leaks, flood and sewer or drain backup unless you added an endorsement.
- Flood is a separate policy, through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and it generally carries a 30-day wait before it takes effect.
- Stop the water if you safely can, photograph everything before it is moved, and call your insurer early. A restoration crew can give you moisture readings and photos for your claim.
- Coverage is decided by your insurer under your policy. A restoration crew documents damage and does not decide, promise or guarantee a claim outcome.
- If you and your insurer disagree and cannot resolve it, the Texas Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints.
- If the house is new, check your builder's written warranty too. Texas law describes a written warranty of at least one year for workmanship and materials, two for plumbing and mechanical systems and six for major structural components, but that is a statutory minimum and not a promise any given builder makes.
What does a Texas homeowners policy usually cover for a water leak?
A standard homeowners policy often covers sudden and accidental water damage, for example a supply line that bursts or a water heater that fails. It usually does not cover long-term or repeated leakage, flood, or sewer and drain backup without an added endorsement. Wording varies by insurer and form, so check your policy.
The words that matter are sudden and accidental. Texas policy-form guidance describes older HO-A forms as covering only sudden and accidental water leaks, and not continuous or repeated leakage. Modern policies are written differently from one insurer to the next, but that idea persists: a pipe that bursts on a Tuesday is treated differently from a drip that ran behind a cabinet for months.
That distinction matters for newer homes in Celina, Prosper and McKinney, where the typical call is a failed supply line, a water heater, an appliance hose, an irrigation break or an air conditioner condensate overflow. A burst line in an attic is usually sudden. A slow leak at a slab fitting that nobody noticed for weeks may be argued differently. This is a general pattern and not a prediction, and your insurer makes the call.
Do not assume. Ask your agent which water events your policy covers, what the deductible is, whether water backup is endorsed and whether there is a separate wind and hail deductible. A short call before a loss is cheaper than a long call after one.
| Event | Often treated as | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Burst or failed supply line | Sudden and accidental, often covered | Deductible; whether the failed part itself is covered |
| Water heater failure | Sudden and accidental, often covered | Wear and tear exclusions; plumber repair is separate |
| Appliance hose or ice-maker line | Sudden and accidental, often covered | Age and maintenance language |
| Long-term or repeated leak | Usually not covered | How and when the leak started |
| Sewer or drain backup | Usually not covered without an endorsement | Water backup endorsement and its limit |
| Flood or rising surface water | Not covered by a standard policy | Separate flood policy and its waiting period |
| Hail or storm roof leak | Under wind and hail terms, varies | Separate wind and hail deductible |
| Frozen pipe burst | Often covered when sudden | Policy conditions and deductible |
What should I do in the first hours after water damage?
Shut off the water at the main valve if you can reach it safely, keep away from standing water near outlets, and switch off power to the area only if the panel is safely reachable. Take photos before anything is moved, call your insurer early, and call a crew to extract and dry.
Safety first, then documentation. Photograph the source, the standing water, the affected rooms and any damaged belongings with date stamps on if possible. Short video walk-throughs help. Do this before furniture, rugs or drywall are moved, because the original state is your best evidence.
Call your insurer early. Many policies expect you to report a loss promptly and to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, which usually includes drying the house. Keep receipts for anything you pay for. (833) 490-5225 is answered around the clock if you need a crew first, and a crew is dispatched as fast as one is available.
Keep a log. Write down who you spoke with, when, and what they said, along with claim numbers and adjuster names. When a claim runs a few weeks, a simple notebook or a notes file saves arguments later.
- Stop the water at the main valve if you can reach it safely.
- Stay away from standing water near outlets and appliances.
- Photograph and video the damage before moving anything.
- Call your insurer and, if the house is new, your builder.
- Have a crew extract and dry; keep the moisture readings and photos.
- Save damaged items or photos of them until the adjuster has seen them.
What can a restoration crew do for my claim, and what can it not?
A restoration crew can extract water, dry the structure, take moisture readings and photos, and document the damage so you can share it with your insurer. It cannot decide coverage, promise a payment or guarantee any claim outcome. Coverage is decided by your insurer under your own policy.
Documentation is where a crew helps most. Moisture meters and thermal tools find water behind walls and under floors that you cannot see, and readings taken at the start and during drying show how far the damage spread and when materials reached dry goals. That is useful evidence in a conversation with an adjuster.
What a crew will not do is speak for your insurer. Be wary of anyone who says an insurer will pay, who promises there will be no out-of-pocket cost or who tells you not to read your policy. A restoration estimate should be explained and approved by you before work starts, and repairs after drying are quoted separately. How the claim is handled and paid is between you and your insurer.
Mitigation and repair are different stages. Mitigation is the emergency work that stops damage from spreading: extraction, drying, protecting contents. Repair is rebuilding: replacing drywall, flooring and cabinets, which is quoted after drying. An adjuster may treat the two differently, so ask your insurer how each stage is handled and keep the paperwork for both.
How much does restoration cost compared with a deductible?
Published ranges for water damage restoration in the Dallas-Fort Worth area run roughly $1,200 to $5,000 for a whole job, with larger multi-room jobs reaching $5,000 to $15,000 or more. These are estimates confirmed on site. A smaller loss can land near a deductible, which is worth knowing before you file.
Cost depends on the water category, how many rooms and materials were wet and how many drying days it takes. Clean-water losses cost less per square foot than gray water, and sewage-contaminated water costs more. A detailed comparison is in our water damage cost guide for Celina.
The ranges below are typical published figures, not quotes. Even so, they let you ask a useful question: if the likely total is near your deductible, what would a claim do to your record and renewal? That is a question for your agent, and nobody else can answer it for you.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Whole-job water damage restoration, Greater DFW | $1,200 to $5,000 |
| Water extraction, limited clean-water loss | $500 to $1,500 |
| Drying and dehumidifying | $700 to $2,000 |
| Extraction plus drying, one room, significant | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Extraction plus drying, several rooms or structural materials | $5,000 to $15,000 or more |
| Sewage backup cleanup, contained residential | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Drywall replacement including finishing, per sq ft | $3 to $8 |
What about flood, sewer backup and new-home warranties?
Flood needs its own policy, from FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, with a typical 30-day wait. Sewer or drain backup usually needs an endorsement on your homeowners policy. A new home may also have a written builder warranty, so tell the builder as well as the insurer.
Heavy rain can put water into garages and low-lying homes in this region. McKinney has had five water rescues on two roads since 2015, and the city approved a flood-warning system for five points. If you are near a creek or a low street, check FEMA's flood map for your own address, and talk to an agent about a flood policy before you need it, because the wait means a policy bought during a storm does not help that storm.
Sewer or drain backup is the one people miss. A standard policy usually leaves it out, and a backup endorsement, if you bought one, has its own limit. Sewage also falls into the contaminated Category 3 water class, which needs different handling. Our sewage cleanup page explains it.
New builds add a third voice. Texas law, through the Residential Construction Liability Act, recognizes a written builder warranty with at least one year for workmanship and materials, two years for plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling delivery systems, and six years for major structural components. Builders who offer that written warranty get a shorter six-year cut-off for lawsuits. That is a statutory minimum and not what any given builder promises, so read your own warranty, and follow its notice steps strictly, because missing them can hurt you. This is general information, not legal advice. Our new home builder warranty guide covers the call order.
What if my insurer denies or underpays a claim?
Ask for the reason in writing, compare it with your policy language, and give the insurer any additional documentation such as moisture readings, photos and estimates. If you still cannot resolve it, the Texas Department of Insurance takes consumer complaints about insurers. A crew can share its records but does not decide coverage.
Start by reading the denial letter against the policy, not against what you remember. Many disputes turn on whether a leak was sudden, on how long it ran, or on whether the damage is excluded by a specific clause. Ask the adjuster which clause applies.
If new facts exist, such as readings that show the leak was recent or photos that were missing, send them. If the insurer still will not move, you can file a complaint with the Texas Department of Insurance, which handles consumer complaints and publishes a helpline on its website. You can also consult an attorney, which is outside what this page can advise on.
Keep in mind that a denied claim does not mean the house can wait. Drying still has a clock. EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold, and that is a guideline, not a deadline: mold may have grown even in materials that were dried within the window. Ask your crew for a written estimate you approve, and decide on drying separately from the claim. If mold concerns remain, see our Texas mold rules guide.
Frequently asked questions
Will insurance pay for my water damage cleanup?
That depends on your policy and your insurer, which decides coverage. A standard homeowners policy often covers sudden and accidental water damage and usually excludes flood, long-term leaks and sewer backup without an endorsement. Read the policy and call your agent before you assume either way.
Do I have to call my insurer before I start drying?
Call early, but do not let the house sit wet while you wait. Policies commonly expect you to protect the property from further damage. Photograph first, call your insurer, and have a crew extract and dry. Keep receipts and the moisture readings.
Does a restoration company bill my insurance directly?
This site makes no such promise. The crew can document the damage with photos and readings that you share with your insurer, and the estimate is explained and approved by you before work starts. How a claim is handled and paid is between you and your insurer.
Is flood damage covered by homeowners insurance?
A standard homeowners policy generally does not cover flood. Flood insurance is a separate policy, offered through FEMA's NFIP or a private insurer, and it generally has a 30-day waiting period. Check FEMA's flood map for your address and ask an agent.
Who should I call first in a new home, the builder or the insurer?
Do both, in writing where you can, and stop the water first. A new home may still be under a written builder warranty, and the insurer needs prompt notice of any loss. Your crew can dry the house while those conversations happen.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance – Homeowners Insurance Guide
- FEMA – National Flood Insurance Program (FloodSmart)
- U.S. EPA – A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home
- Texas Property Code Chapter 27 – Residential Construction Liability Act
This guide is general information for Collin County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.