Plumbing and drainage cover
Don’t let burst pipes and blocked drains cause chaos. Find out if you have plumbing and drainage cover in your home insurance policy and why you should consider extra protection.
Don’t let burst pipes and blocked drains cause chaos. Find out if you have plumbing and drainage cover in your home insurance policy and why you should consider extra protection.
What is plumbing and drainage cover?
Dedicated plumbing and drainage cover adds an extra layer of protection to your standard home insurance. A plumbing and drains bolt on may offer more extensive and comprehensive cover than buildings insurance or home emergency cover can provide.
A range of problems might arise with your home’s plumbing and drainage system, from a leaking pipe to a flash flood. Plumbing and drainage cover could include the following:
- Plumbing in your home and outbuildings
- Your water supply
- Unblocking drains and waste pipes
- Accidental damage.
Does home insurance cover plumbing and drains?
Whether or not your home insurance covers plumbing and drains depends on the type of policy you have and the nature of the incident. If you already have home insurance, check your policy documents to find out if you’re already covered. Keep in mind that home insurance can come as a buildings insurance policy, contents insurance or a combined policy.
If there’s a flood, contents insurance could help you replace any soft furnishings, electrical devices and other valuables that are damaged or lost.
Buildings insurance, which covers your home’s structure and any permanent fixtures and fittings, is also likely to cover some plumbing and drainage issues.
Cover varies between providers and policies, but your buildings insurance may also include:
- The repair of burst water pipes – this is not the same as cover for damage caused by the leaking water.
- Accidental damage to underground pipes, drains and tanks, also known as underground services.
- Tracing and accessing a leak – finding and fixing a leak if it happens in your house or underground.
- Unblocking or replacing a blocked drain, toilet or sewage pipe. This may depend on the type of blockage, though – flush baby wipes down the toilet, for example, and your claim is likely to be rejected.
- Escape of water – water damage caused by flooding due to a burst pipe or blocked drain.
- Alternative accommodation if your home floods and you need to move out.
It’s also worth noting that your home insurance provider might also offer you access to an emergency helpline with approved tradespeople on call to do the necessary repairs.
This is really valuable because the quicker and more efficiently a drainage or plumbing problem is tackled, the less damage it’s likely to cause. Look for policies that include parts, labour, and callouts.
Finding the right cover for you requires some homework.
Always read the small print of a new or existing home insurance policy. This will help you get a better picture of what is and isn’t covered to help make sure you don’t pay extra for protection you already have.
What plumbing and drains work won’t be covered by home insurance?
Home insurance is unlikely to cover the following plumbing and drainage problems:
- General maintenance work – including leaking pipes
- Pipes or drains that you’re not legally responsible for – for example, a water supply pipe owned by water companies, the local council or your neighbours
- General wear and tear
- Older boilers – typically, over 10 years old
- Dripping taps and limescale build-ups from hard water
- Pipes or drains made of pitch fibre – a cheaper, lightweight material with a shorter lifespan than the heavy-duty plastic alternative
- Damage that’s not a part of the system covered by the policy – for example, subsidence caused by flooding from a burst pipe
- Cesspits or soakaways
- Flooding if you live in a high-risk area, for example, near a river
- Faults or damage caused by poor design, construction or maintenance
- Non-urgent issues.
Some insurance providers will also refuse claims for damage caused by overflowing baths or poor seals around baths and showers. Alternatively, you might have to pay a higher ‘escape of water’ excess for this type of claim.
These types of problems are more common in homes that have been left empty for a while. This means that if your home has been empty for 30 days or more without unoccupied home insurance, you may find that your cover is invalidated.
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Top tip Always contact your insurance provider before arranging any repairs yourself. It’s likely they’ll want to inspect the damage and will ask for a detailed report and itemised invoice with the claim. So, talk to your provider first, as any repairs carried out before you make the claim could be rejected. |
What other types of insurance cover plumbing and drains?
If you aren’t happy with the level of cover provided by standard buildings insurance, there is additional cover you can bolt on to your policy for an additional fee. These include:
- Home emergency cover. This typically includes blocked drains, sinks and toilets, as well as burst pipes. The insurance provider may also organise and pay for an approved tradesperson to do the emergency repairs. As a general rule, the more you pay, the more extensive the cover.
- Extended accidental damage. This provides more comprehensive cover for damage caused by an unforeseen or unintentional event. For example, drilling through a water pipe or a tree root intrusion that blocks a drain. Always check for policy exclusions, because if you’re trying to repair the problem yourself and something goes wrong any resulting claim is likely to be rejected. You should always hire a reputable, qualified tradesperson.
- Dedicated plumbing and drains cover. Taking out a specialist plumbing and drainage policy could be useful not only in emergencies but also for more minor issues and breakdowns, such as a dripping tap. Unfortunately, we don’t currently offer a price comparison service for standalone plumbing and drains insurance.
Is plumbing and drainage cover worth it?
Given the cover you may already have from existing policies, is plumbing and drainage cover worth the extra cost?
Why you might want to consider additional plumbing and drains cover:
- As well as boosting the existing protection provided by your home insurance, a plumbing and drains policy might have other products bundled in with it, such as cover for your boiler, central heating system or electrics.
- You may also want to think about additional cover if your drainage system is prone to blockages. For example, problems caused by tree roots growing through fractured drains, which could be a problem in more rural areas.
It always pays to shop around and compare prices. Ultimately, the cost and your specific requirements will help you work out whether it’s a sensible investment.
How much does plumbing and drainage cover cost?
Adding plumbing and drainage insurance to your existing home insurance policy is normally cheaper than taking out standalone cover. Contact your home insurance provider to see if this is possible to find the best plumbing and drainage cover quote for you.
On average, the cost of fixing a leaky pipe can range from £150 to £330, depending on the extent of the damage and how easy it is to access.
What can I do to reduce the risk of burst or leaking pipes and blocked drains?
There’s a lot you can do to make sure your water pipes and drains stay in good condition and regular maintenance is top of the list.
Here are a few tips:
- Don’t put oils, fats and sanitary products down the drains as they can all clog up the system. Even baby wipes and toilet wipes that claim to be flushable could cause problems.
- Get your drains looked at quickly if you become aware of any bad smells.
- Make sure you know where the stopcock is and how to use it – this turns off the main water supply.
- Protect your pipes by lagging them and insulate your tanks so they’re protected in a cold spell.
- Keep the heating on low if you’re away for any length of time – this reduces the risk of pipes freezing and then bursting when temperatures rise.
You’ll find more advice on our burst pipes and water leak insurance page.
Where can you compare plumbing and drains cover?
We don’t currently offer a standalone plumbing and drainage cover comparison. But we do compare home insurance and home emergency cover.
Why not take a look and see if you can save?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need plumbing and drainage cover?
You might decide that your buildings insurance is enough to cover your needs, so you don’t need additional plumbing and drainage cover. Or you might already have home emergency cover included in your home insurance policy.
Just be aware that home emergency cover is typically designed as a temporary fix for urgent issues such as an uncontrollable leak or a breakdown in your heating system.
Dedicated cover for plumbing and drainage may offer more extensive and comprehensive protection.
Plumbing and drainage cover could also be useful if you don’t have a regular list of trusted tradespeople to call on in a crisis.
Do I need to get plumbing and drainage cover if I’m a tenant?
No, if you’re not the homeowner, your landlord is responsible for the plumbing and drainage of the property, so it’s up to them to take out the necessary buildings insurance and any additional policies needed to cover drains and pipes.
As a tenant, however, it’s important that you report any problems as soon as possible – particularly in an emergency.
You should also note that your landlord’s buildings insurance won’t cover your possessions in the event of water damage. For that you’ll need to arrange your own contents insurance.
Should I try to solve a drainage or plumbing problem myself?
You might want to have a go at fixing minor problems yourself. A blocked sink or toilet, for example, can often be easily fixed with a drainage rod or a chemical unblocking product.
However, a large part of your drainage and plumbing system is underground, which means some problems will be a no-go area for anyone but a professional plumber.
Try to fix the problem yourself and you might find that you not only make matters worse but invalidate your policy too.
If you aren’t sure where to turn, your insurance company is likely to have a list of approved tradespeople in your area.
Will a claim on plumbing and drains cover affect my home insurance no-claims discount?
If you have a plumbing and drains or home emergency add on, making a claim shouldn’t affect your home insurance no-claims discount (NCD).
But a claim on your standard home insurance policy for an emergency plumbing or drainage issue will likely count against your NCD.
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Anna McEntee - Insurance expert
Anna’s all about delivering fantastic insurance products at a great price. Value is the most important thing for Anna, as she cuts through the jargon and finds what’s most important and worth your hard-earned money.