How to Handle a Burst Pipe Claim

The temperatures in New England have been quite cold lately, causing pipes to burst and water damage to condominiums. You hear stories on the news and pray that it never happens to your complex, but what do you do once you get that dreaded phone call?

First step, don’t panic. You’re most certainly not the first, nor the last property manager to handle a burst pipe claim. Fortunately, you’re not alone because you have dedicated representatives at H&K Insurance to help you!

Assign a Company to Clean Up

Especially when dealing with a water loss, it needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible to prevent further damage from mold. A reputable clean up company will know what to do. As long as it is a covered loss their charges will be covered by the insurance company as part of the claim. If you do not already have an arrangement with a restoration company, either the adjuster or H&K can assist you.

Calling Your Insurance Company

Your insurance company will send out an adjuster to assess the damage as soon as possible after the loss is reported. You will receive your first check soon after the damages have been assessed, with subsequent checks thereafter as invoices are generated by the contractors. Provided everything runs smoothly, the burst pipe claim should be closed within 6 months of the loss.

Who Pays for the Damages?

This all depends on the master policy of the association. If the complex only has bare-walls coverage, the master policy will only cover the structure of the unit (ex. drywall). Damage to flooring, cabinets, and electrical fixtures are the unit owner’s responsibility to fix. If the complex has all-in coverage, the master policy will cover everything except for the unit owner’s personal belongings.

Policies Working Together

It’s important that insurance companies of both the unit owner and the association are made aware of the bylaws. This fine print helps determine where coverage for one policy ends and where the next one begins.

Need to evaluate your condo coverages? Call Brian Kilcoyne at 617-612-6515 or email him at briankilcoyne@hkinsurance.com.