Escape of water claims: what your insurer needs from a plumber
Escape of water is insurance language for damage caused by water leaking from fixed pipes, tanks or appliances. Insurers usually want the cause, the date it was found, where the failure was, what was done to stop it, and evidence such as photos, the failed part and an itemised invoice. Many buildings policies also cover trace and access, the cost of finding a hidden leak.
Protect your claim from the first minute
- 1Stop the waterTurn off the stop tap and make electrics near the water safe.
- 2Photograph everythingRecord the damage and the leak before anything is moved or repaired.
- 3Limit the damageContain the water and move belongings out of harm's way.
- 4NotifyTell your insurer, or the managing agent or freeholder in a flat.
- 5Get a written causeAsk the plumber for a description of the cause, the repair and an itemised invoice.
In the first hour
What you do before the repair affects the claim as much as the repair itself:
- • Stop the water at the stop tap and make the electrics safe.
- • Photograph the damage and, if visible, the leak before anything is moved.
- • Contain the water and move belongings, which insurers expect you to do.
- • Tell your insurer, or in a flat the managing agent or freeholder, as soon as you can.
What the plumber's report should say
Ask for a written description that covers:
- • The cause, for example a failed compression joint under the bath.
- • Where the failure was and which property it serves.
- • What was done to stop the leak and what was repaired.
- • Anything still to be repaired, and whether a part was removed and kept.
- • An itemised invoice showing time and parts.
Trace and access
When the leak is hidden, finding it costs money: lifting floorboards, removing tiles or opening a ceiling. Many buildings policies pay for this as trace and access, often up to a set limit. Check with your insurer before large-scale opening-up, and keep a record of what was removed.
Flats and leaseholds
In a block, the buildings insurance is often arranged by the freeholder or managing agent, and damage to another flat may be claimed on that policy. Establishing which flat the leak came from and whose pipework failed is the first question, which is why a written cause matters.
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