Water Damage Vs Flood Damage, What’s the Difference?

Why is Home Insurance Important?

Home insurance is almost as important an investment for homeowners as the property itself. It provides cover for damages and losses caused by unexpected events. Events that may cause water damage and/or flood damage. While these two types of damages may seem similar, they are actually quite different. Understanding the differences between them is important when it comes to having the right cover to protect your home.

Water Damage

Water damage is any damage caused by water in your home. This can include damage caused by burst pipes, leaking roofs, overflowing appliances, or forgetting to turn the tap off when rushing out the door for the school run. Water damage can be a significant problem for homeowners, as it can lead to structural damage, mould growth, and other issues that can be really expensive to repair. Thankfully, most home insurance policies in Ireland cover water damage caused by these types of incidents.

Flood Damage

Flood damage, on the other hand, refers to damage caused by water that enters your home from an external source. Such as heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, or coastal flooding. Flood damage can be particularly devastating, as it can cause significant damage to your home. As well as your contents, including furniture, appliances, and personal belongings. Homeowners should be aware that flood damage is not always available on standard home insurance policies. Because not all areas in Ireland are eligible for flood insurance. In Ireland, all properties are geo-coded based on their location and risk of flooding.  A property’s location and risk of flooding in the area will usually dictate if it is eligible for flood cover or not.

What’s the Difference?

So, basically, the main difference between water damage and flood damage in home insurance in Ireland is the cause of the damage and the type of coverage provided. Water damage is typically covered under standard home insurance policies. While flood damage may not be depending on the risk of flooding in your area and the property’s geo-coding.

If you’re not sure what cover you have or have any questions at all about home insurance, talk to someone on our dedicated team now. You can talk to one of our experienced personal lines team here or you can email them here!