Does homeowners insurance cover water damage? In Texas, the honest answer is that it depends on where the water came from and how fast it happened. A pipe that bursts suddenly is the classic covered loss. A leak that dripped for months, or water that rose from a flooded street, usually is not covered by a home policy at all.
This guide explains how the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and FEMA describe the difference, how flood insurance works, where mold and sewer backup fit, the deadlines that apply to claims, and a checklist of questions to ask your own insurer. It is general information, not legal advice and not a coverage decision. Only your policy and your insurer can say what is covered. Water Damage Pro Houston is a free phone line that connects callers with independent local restoration companies; it does not sell insurance, handle claims or talk to adjusters.
Covered, not covered, or it depends
The table sorts common Houston water problems the way TDI and FEMA describe them in their consumer guidance. Read "usually" literally: policies differ, and endorsements (add-ons you can buy) change the answer.
| What happened | Under a standard home policy | What to ask or check |
|---|---|---|
| Burst or frozen pipe, sudden | Usually covered as sudden and accidental water damage (TDI) | Whether the pipe repair itself is excluded; whether tear-out to reach it is covered; your deductible |
| Toilet overflow, broken washer hose, appliance leak | Usually covered when sudden and accidental (TDI) | How the insurer will judge whether it was sudden |
| Slow leak or seepage over weeks or months | Usually not covered, including mold from it (TDI) | Whether any part of the resulting damage qualifies |
| Flood: rising water from outside | Not covered; needs a separate flood policy (TDI, FEMA) | Whether you have NFIP or private flood coverage, and its limits |
| Sewer or drain backup | Depends on the policy; ask whether it is included or an add-on | Whether your policy includes it and the limit |
| Mold cleanup and testing | Usually limited or excluded; coverage may be added for mold from a covered loss (TDI) | Whether you have a mold endorsement and its dollar limit |
| Wind-driven rain after a hurricane opens the roof | Depends on your policy and its windstorm coverage; on parts of the coast, wind may be insured separately through TWIA | Which policy covers wind and hail at your address, and its deductible |
Never assume. This table summarizes general guidance. It does not tell you what your insurer will pay. Read your declarations page (the summary page of your policy) and call your insurer before major work starts.
Flood versus water damage: why the wording matters
After a Houston storm, the same soaked carpet can be a covered water claim or a flood loss that the home policy does not touch. What matters is where the water came from.
Water damage, in insurance terms
Water released suddenly inside the house: a supply line that splits, a water heater that fails, a dishwasher hose that lets go. TDI says most home and renters policies cover this kind of loss, subject to the deductible and the policy's exclusions.
Flood, in insurance terms
Surface water rising from outside: a bayou over its banks, a street that fills during a downpour, storm surge on the coast. TDI and FEMA both say home policies do not cover flood. That takes a separate flood policy.
Houston has learned this the hard way more than once. When Hurricane Harvey stalled over the region in August 2017, the Harris County Flood Control District estimates about 120,000 structures flooded. Homeowners without a flood policy found their home insurance did not respond to rising water, however much damage it did.
How flood insurance works
Most flood policies in the United States are written through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), run by FEMA and sold through insurance companies and agents. Private flood insurance also exists. You can buy flood coverage whether or not your home is in a mapped high-risk flood zone.
The 30 day wait
FEMA says a new NFIP policy generally does not take effect until 30 days after purchase. There are a few exceptions. If the policy is bought in connection with making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage loan, coverage can start when the loan closes. FloodSmart also describes a shorter wait for a building newly mapped into a high-risk area when the policy is bought within 13 months of the map change; ask your agent which waiting period applies to you. Buying a policy when a storm is already in the Gulf will not help with that storm.
Coverage limits
FEMA materials say a homeowner can buy up to $250,000 of NFIP building coverage and up to $100,000 for contents (your belongings). Building and contents are separate coverages, so ask whether you have both.
To check your own flood risk and the map for your address, FEMA's Flood Map Service Center (opens in a new tab) and the why Houston floods guide are good starting points. FEMA's NFIP referral line is 800-427-4661.
Coastal wind: the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
On the Texas coast, some homeowners insure wind and hail separately through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), an association created by the Texas Legislature. TWIA's coverage area is the 14 first-tier coastal counties, which in greater Houston include Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers counties, plus the parts of La Porte, Morgan's Point, Pasadena, Seabrook and Shoreacres in Harris County that lie inside city limits and east of Highway 146.
TWIA policies cover wind and hail only, not flood. For structures built, repaired or added onto on or after January 1, 1988, TWIA generally requires a windstorm Certificate of Compliance issued through TDI's Windstorm Inspection Program, with limited exceptions. If a hurricane tears off shingles and rain pours in, your claim may involve your home policy, a TWIA policy and a flood policy at the same time. Ask each insurer which part of the damage it handles.
Mold and sewer backup: read the endorsements
TDI says most home policies do not cover mold that comes from gradual leaks or seepage, and most do not include mold cleanup and testing after the damaged item is removed. Insurers may let you add coverage for mold cleanup caused by a covered loss. Mold from a flood is not covered by a home policy. In Houston's humidity, mold can follow water damage quickly; the EPA says wet materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually will not grow it, which is one more reason to start drying right away.
Sewer or drain backup is a separate question from a burst pipe. If water comes up through a floor drain, tub or toilet, ask whether your policy includes backup coverage, whether it is an add-on, and what its limit is. At renewal time, compare how each policy you are offered treats backup, frozen plumbing and mold before you choose.
Check the mold license first. In Texas, mold assessment and mold remediation are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). In most cases visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned by people without a license; larger jobs generally call for a licensed mold assessment consultant to write the remediation protocol and a separate licensed mold remediation contractor to do the work. Ask for both license numbers and look them up on the TDLR license search (opens in a new tab). The line does not check licenses for you.
After the damage: documenting and protecting the house
Insurers expect you to protect the property from more damage. TDI warns that an insurer may deny a claim if you do not take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. That does not mean doing risky work yourself. It means stopping the source when it is safe, getting water out and the house drying, and keeping records.
Safety before anything else. If you smell gas, leave the house now and, once outside, call 911 and your gas utility's emergency line (CenterPoint Energy serves much of greater Houston). Never walk into standing water near outlets, cords or appliances; switch power off at the breaker only if you can reach the panel while standing on a dry floor, otherwise call your electric utility (CenterPoint Energy in much of greater Houston) or an electrician. Stay out of sewage water. If it is safe to reach, close the main water shutoff.
- Photograph and video everything first. Every wet room, the source of the water, damaged belongings and any visible waterline, before anything is moved or thrown out.
- Report the claim promptly. Call your insurer or agent, write down the claim number, the date and the name of everyone you talk to.
- Stop further damage. Close the main water shutoff if it is safe to reach, move valuables to a dry room and call for drying help. Keep receipts for anything you spend.
- Keep damaged items if you can. Ask the adjuster before you discard ruined materials; photos and a small sample can help.
- Get estimates in writing. Share the restoration company's written estimate and moisture readings with your adjuster.
- Track the deadlines. TDI says the insurer generally must acknowledge your claim within 15 days and, once it has what it needs, accept or deny within 15 business days, with a possible 45 day extension. If approved, payment is generally due within 5 business days. After a weather catastrophe, those deadlines can be extended by 15 days.
Questions to ask your insurer
Keep this list by the phone when you report a claim. Write down each answer and who gave it.
- Is this loss covered under my policy, and under which section?
- What is my deductible for this kind of loss? Is there a separate wind, hurricane or named storm deductible?
- Do you want to inspect before the restoration company removes wet materials, and how soon can an adjuster come?
- Does my policy pay for tearing out walls or floors to reach the leak, and is the pipe repair itself excluded?
- Do I have sewer or drain backup coverage, and what is the limit?
- Do I have a mold endorsement, and what is its limit?
- Does my policy cover additional living expenses if I cannot stay in the house?
- Do I have flood coverage, and if so, who is the flood insurer?
- Is any of the damage covered by a TWIA wind policy instead?
- What is my deadline for submitting a proof of loss or other paperwork?
If you hit a wall. TDI's Help Line, 800-252-3439, answers questions about insurance and your rights as a policyholder. For disputes about a specific claim, consider talking with a lawyer; this page is not legal advice.
For what the work itself tends to cost, see the water damage restoration cost guide and the burst pipe repair cost guide. If water is in the house right now, the first 24 to 48 hours guide lists what to do in order, and the flood damage restoration page covers rising water.
Need the damage inspected and written up for your adjuster? Call the free line. It connects you with an independent local restoration company, which inspects, documents what it finds and gives you its own estimate. The claim stays between you and your insurer.
Related pages
- Flood Damage Restoration
- Water Damage Restoration in Houston
- Mold Remediation in Houston
- Water Damage Restoration Cost
- Burst Pipe Repair Cost
- Why Houston Floods
About this line: Water Damage Pro Houston is a free phone line, not a restoration company. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local water damage restoration company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. The line never charges you. Read how the line works.