Water damage claim guides
Everything you need to claim, and get a fair payout
Straight, honest guides to UK water damage insurance claims, from your first phone call to disputing a refusal. No jargon, no scare tactics, and always on your side.
Start here
Is it covered?
Getting a fair figure
Your payout
How to maximise your payout
Make sure the settlement covers the full cost of putting things right.
Do I need a loss assessor?
When it's worth having someone argue the claim for you.
Loss adjuster vs loss assessor
Who works for the insurer, and who works for you.
High-value (£10k+) claims
Where independent help pays for itself many times over.
Average payout for water damage
Why there's no real 'average', and how to tell if your offer is fair.
UK water damage claim statistics
75 verified figures on payouts, rejections and complaints, each traced to the body that published it.
Trace and access claims
Who pays to find a hidden leak, and the line most often missing from a settlement.
Average clause & underinsurance
Why a low sum insured cuts your payout, and when the Ombudsman says that is unfair.
By cause
Types of water damage claim
Burst pipe insurance claim
Sudden burst or frozen pipe, trace and access, and what's covered.
Escape of water claim
The insurer's term for an internal leak, and the higher excess.
Roof leak insurance claim
Storm damage vs wear and tear, and how roof claims are argued.
Leak from the flat above
Who's liable, who pays, and why you usually claim on your own policy.
Bathroom & shower leak
Sudden pipe failure vs failed sealant, the line that decides it.
Washing machine & appliance leak
The water damage is covered; the broken machine usually isn't.
Central heating & radiator leak
Sudden leaks are covered; the boiler and old pipework aren't.
Storm & rainwater ingress
Storm damage is covered; rain through a worn roof usually isn't.
Flood damage claim
Water from outside, Flood Re, and long, large claims.
Water main & supply pipe leak
Public main, your supply pipe, or internal, who's responsible.
Sewage & drain backup
Contaminated 'black water', cover, and professional clean-up.
When it goes wrong
Problems & disputes
Water damage claim denied
The common refusal reasons, and how to challenge them.
Claim underpaid or lowballed
Why first offers come in low, and how to push back.
Dispute a claim & the Financial Ombudsman
Complain, escalate to the free Ombudsman, and get a fair result.
Gradual damage & wear and tear
Why 'gradual' refusals happen, and when they can be challenged.
Claim delayed or stalling
What to do when the insurer drags its feet.
Putting it right
Restoration & repair
What water damage restoration involves
Make safe, strip out, dry, and rebuild, step by step.
How long does water damage take to dry?
Why drying takes days to weeks, and why not to rush it.
Damp & mould after a leak
When it's covered, and getting it dealt with properly.
Does insurance pay for restoration?
Usually yes, if the cause was covered. What's in and what's out.
Water damage restoration costs
What drives the cost, and why your bill is often just the excess.
Water damage insurance claim tips
If you read nothing else here, these are the four that change what you get paid. Photograph everything before you clean up, because that evidence cannot be recreated. Claim all four parts of a settlement, not only the damage you can see: buildings, contents, trace and access, and alternative accommodation. Get your own repair quotes rather than arguing about what feels fair. And treat a first offer as an opening figure, because that is what it is.
Each of those is set out in full, with the reasoning behind it, in our guide on how to maximise your water damage payout.
Have a quick question?
Our water damage claim FAQsanswer the specific things homeowners ask, from "is it covered?" to "how long does it take?". Or, for a straight read on your own claim, get a free claim review.