Cheapest Sewer Backup Home Insurance Quotes
Find the cheapest home insurance with sewer backup coverage by comparing quotes from 50+ providers in Canada.
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- What is sewer backup insurance?
- What causes sewer backup?
- Does home insurance cover sewer backup?
- How much does sewer backup coverage cost?
- Factors that may put you at risk of a sewer backup
- Tips for preventing sewer backup
- Incentives offered for installing preventive measures in your home
- What to do when your sewer backs up?
- Sewer backup vs. flood Insurance vs. water damage coverage
- Frequently asked questions about sewer backup insurance coverage
Contributing Writer
Updated On
June 7, 2024What is sewer backup insurance?
Owning a home is fraught with many potential breakdowns and insurance needs. One very important system that, while not directly in your home, can cause problems – is the sewage system. When it gets backed-up, for one reason or another, your drains and toilets may overflow and flood your home.
Sewer backup insurance is a policy meant to protect you from the ensuing damage – financial or otherwise. It usually covers the cost of cleaning and repairing the property itself as well as replacing any lost or damaged personal belongings.
It can also help pay for costs if you are displaced from your home, while repairs take place. It’s important to check with your insurance company and/or policy to see what you are covered for.
What causes sewer backup?
Generally, sewer backup issues are caused when wastewater is unable to flow away from your home because of a blockage in your pipes, or because there is some form of damage to the system.
Does home insurance cover sewer backup?
It’s always best to talk to your home insurance provider. Typically, sewer backup insurance is an add-on to your general homeowner’s insurance plan. Some companies cap the amounts they pay, while others limit the types of damage they will cover.
Because it is an add-on to your existing home insurance policy, it’s important to understand how the extra expense will affect your budgeting and how much you are covered for. Of course, the damage from sewer backups can cost you even more – many thousands of dollars more, in fact – so assess your home’s value and belongings carefully and decide the best course of action from then on.
Usually, sewer backup insurance covers things like:
- Cleanup
- Repairs
- Replacement of items
- Relocation if you are displaced
How much does sewer backup coverage cost?
The cost of sewer backup coverage will vary between providers and how much coverage you need within your home. The add-on can typically cost between $150 and $300 per year. Talk to your provider first, however, before adding sewer backup insurance to your policy.
Factors that may put you at risk of a sewer backup
There are many ways and factors that can lead to sewer backup problems. For example:
- Pipe blockage: Sometimes, without even thinking, people throw things they shouldn’t into sinks and down drains. Cooking grease, built-up hair in the shower and food can all eventually clog your drainage and lead to sewer backup.
- Trees: Yes, trees can be a problem for your sewer. When roots grow into sewer lines they can break through pipes and cause major damage to your home.
- Aging pipes: Unfortunately, we all get older and so does our home. Aging infrastructure will break down and could crack or break over time.
- City sewer lines: Sometimes sewer lines that belong to the city can break and cause backups in heavy rainstorms or similar disasters.
Tips for preventing sewer backup
Home maintenance and prevention can save a lot of future headaches and financial issues. The same holds true for preventing sewer backups.
Do not flush certain items down the drain
Proper waste disposal is a very important method of preventing sewer backup. Avoid flushing items such as paper towels, wipes, grease, coffee grinds and other food.
Direct water away from your house
Keeping water away from the house is also a key component of sewer backup prevention. This can be achieved with downspouts that are facing away from the house, using non-porous landscape like grass to absorb water. Also, ensure your downspouts and weeping tile are not connected to the city. In some municipalities, it is illegal to do so.
Install a backwater valve
Consider installing this on your main sewer line to prevent sewage water from flowing back into your basement during a rainstorm. The valve automatically closes and blocks sewage flow in the ‘wrong’ direction. Many regions in Canada provide an incentive program for installing a backwater valve.
Install a sump pump
A sump pump will transfer water in low-lying areas, place it in a drain and pump it out into your yard, or away from the house. It should be checked regularly and typically lasts 10 to 15 years. Sump pumps work with another system in your home – the weeping tile system – that absorbs water usually around the perimeter of the home.
Check sewer drains
Performing a sewer line inspection with a video camera can check many of the issues mentioned above. Many plumbers can do this job and clear out the drain, while looking for cracks or breaks in the pipes.
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Incentives offered for installing preventive measures in your home
Prevention can sometimes cost money, even though you will ultimately make up for it in savings by keeping your sewer lines protected. Local authorities realize this and offer financial incentives for installing preventative measures in your home, such as a backwater valve or a sump pump.
Here are incentives offered by some of the largest cities in the country.
| City, Province | Incentive |
| Toronto, ON | Subsidy of 80% of the cost of a backwater valve, to a maximum of $1,250. |
| Peel Region, ON | Eligible homeowners can get a rebate of $700 to install a sanitary backwater valve. |
| Durham Region, ON | An interest-free loan of up to $3,000 for homeowners who have experienced sanitary sewage flooding. |
| Hamilton, ON | Up to $2,000 grant for owners of single-family homes to install backwater valves and other basement flooding prevention measures. |
| Ottawa, ON | Up to $1,000 for indoor sanitary and backwater valves and other rebates for different types of flood prevention installations. |
| Vaughan, ON | Up to $750 to subsidize the cost of installing a backwater valve. |
| Windsor, ON | Financial subsidy of up to $2,800 per property for residential homeowners to install flood prevention devices. |
| Edmonton, AB | Owners of a single-dwelling or duplex can get up to $800 to install a backwater valve. |
| Winnipeg, MB | Up to 60% to a maximum of $1,000 available to install a backwater valve or 60% to a maximum of $2,000 to install a sump pump pit. |
| Moncton, MB | Offers $500 to cover the cost of installing a backwater valve. |
What to do when your sewer backs up?
Sewer backups can be traumatic, as well as financially draining. First and foremost, the smell and flooding can be hazardous to your health, so leave as quickly as you can. Other things you should do afterwards include:
- If you can, diagnose the problem and determine where the backup is occurring. Don’t use toilets or any sinks until you know where the problem is and have it cleared.
- Attempt to turn off your electricity and water, but only if it is feasible and safe to do so. If these shut-offs are in the basement, and the basement is flooded, it’s best to stay out of that area.
- Call the city to alert them to the problem and see what the cause of the backup is.
- When it is safe to do so, call a plumber to ‘snake’ the drain, help clear blockages and install a sewer backup valve if necessary.
- Call your home insurance company to submit a claim and get remediation of your home and/or repairs and replacements of items as soon as you can. Your provider can often recommend plumbers or emergency cleanup if you don’t have anyone handy.
Filing a claim can be done, usually, online or by phone with your provider. If possible, take pictures of the damage and keep an inventory of household items in case you need to make claims in the future.
Sewer backup insurance vs. flood insurance vs. water damage coverage
There are several different ways that home insurance companies cover water-related incidents. There is water damage coverage, flood coverage, and finally, sewer backup coverage.
Here’s how they differ:
| Sewer backup | Flood (or overland water) | Water damage | |
| What it covers | Damage caused by backed-up drains or sewer pipes. | Damage caused by water entering from outside the home. This includes overflowing lakes, rivers, streams and ponds as well as melting snow or rainwater (if they happen to leak through the foundation). | Damage caused by accidental water leakage inside the home. Examples include burst pipes, broken sprinklers, malfunctioning air conditioning, failing washing machine and so on. |
| Is it an add-on? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Exclusions | Water damage not caused by backed-up sewer pipes or drains.
Slow water damage over time.
Mold. | Damage not caused by a sudden flood of external water, such as an overflowing river or rainwater.
Slow water damage over time.
Mold. | Water damage from backed-up sewage pipes and external water sources such as an overflowing river or rainwater.
Slow water damage over time.
Mold. |
NOTE: When in doubt, always talk to your insurance provider. If damage is severe, it’s not worth dismissing it just because it seems like it’s not covered.
Frequently asked questions about sewer backup insurance coverage
Find answers to all your questions about sewer backup home insurance coverage.
Which companies offer the most affordable sewer backup insurance policy?
Sewer backup insurance is usually an add-on to your existing home insurance policy. Unfortunately, no insurance company will provide you with a flat rate for this coverage, since its cost will ultimately depend on your unique factors and needs, including the size and age of your property, location and so on. For best results it’s best to compare rates on sites like InsuranceHotline.com or talk to your provider about the best options for your situation.
Is there a deductible for sewer backup insurance?
Some add-ons or endorsements, as sewer backup insurance is, can come with limits and deductibles. It’s best to talk to your provider about your protection requirements and how much coverage you are getting with your policy.
Does sewer backup insurance cover sump pump failure?
Generally speaking, your home insurance will cover sump pump failure if you already have water damage insurance or some other endorsement that covers this type of damage. It’s not a given that it will be covered so check your policy and with your provider to confirm if it’s included.
What are sewer backup insurance policy limits?
Also, your provider might assess the age of your home, or even the neighbourhood, to see what risks are involved and how much coverage you will be offered.
Do you need sewer backup insurance for commercial properties?
Sewer backup insurance does not cover all types of water damage. You will need specific water damage coverage for things like surface water flooding, storms or damage from rain or melting snow. The short answer is yes. If you are an owner of a commercial property, and you want to protect your asset, as you would your home, you will need to mitigate the risks of sewer backup problems. Just as you would protect your home, your business or property is another high-value asset worthy of maintenance.
Also, some financial lenders may mandate certain types of insurance as a condition of their loan. So, it will depend, somewhat on your bank, and who you receive finance from. And some municipalities require insurance as part of the building codes or environmental regulations.
As an investor, should I take sewer backup insurance for rental properties?
It’s important to protect your assets from risks of damage and future financial hardships. A standalone rental property (i.e. not a condo) should be insured for damage risk including sewer backups, as you would protect your own home. The costs of damage and cleanup can be astronomical and could ruin your business/rental. Prevention today could save you thousands in the future.
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