Before you need it

    Before You Need It: The What-If House

    Walk through a fictional house and find the questions worth asking a licensed agent.

    Flood

    Same water. Different answer.

    Calm floodwater covers the yard and reaches the porch step. Whether a homeowners policy responds usually depends on where the water came from.

    Select a detail in the scene to read what it raises.

    One useful distinction

    Flood, in policy wording, usually means water from outside that was on the ground first: rain pooling, a creek over its banks, a street drain overflowing. Most homeowners policies exclude it. Water from a pipe inside the house is handled under different wording. Check the Exclusions section for the words flood, surface water, and overflow of a body of water, or ask.

    Questions for your licensed agent

    • Does my policy exclude flood and surface water, and where is that wording?
    • Do I have a separate flood policy, and does it cover the building, my belongings, or both?
    • If heavy rain pushed water in through a drain, how would my policy treat that?

    That explains the situation. What does your policy say?

    A CoverageDecoder report takes your answers, and your policy if you upload it, and explains in plain English what it addresses, what it limits, what it leaves out, and what you pay first. Your questions for the agent come written, with an email ready to send.

    Start my report · $9See a sample report

    Works for homeowners, renters, condo and townhouse owners, and first-time buyers. No policy yet? The report works from your answers alone.

    Read the full flood guide

    Source for review: FEMA / FloodSmart.gov on what flood insurance covers and NFIP limits https://www.floodsmart.gov/ (link opens in a new tab). Sources are for review and general education.

    CoverageDecoder is educational only. It does not sell insurance and does not give advice about your specific policy. Your actual policy and a licensed agent control any decision.