Water backup coverage
Updated for plan year 2026
In plain terms
Water backup (or sewer and drain backup) coverage is an endorsement that pays for damage when water backs up through your sewer line or drains into the home, typically a basement. A standard homeowners policy excludes this, so it must be added separately. It's usually inexpensive relative to the damage a backup can cause.
A plain example
A heavy storm overwhelms the municipal sewer and water backs up into your finished basement, ruining flooring and drywall. Your base policy excludes it, but a water-backup endorsement covers the cleanup and repairs up to its limit.
Why it matters
A sewer backup can cause thousands in damage to a finished basement, and it's a gap most owners don't know they have until it's too late. For a small annual cost, this endorsement closes one of the most common uncovered water losses.
A common point of confusion
It's not flood insurance. Water backup covers water coming up through your own drains and sewer; flooding, rising water from outside, is a separate exclusion that needs a flood policy.