---
title: What is water backup coverage and why is it important?
---

# What is water backup coverage and why is it important?

* * *

## What is water backup coverage and why is it important?

Water damage can be disastrous to your home. Imagine discovering that your entire basement is filled with brown water and sewage from a backed-up water main or other pipe. It’s not only disgusting and potentially dangerous, it’s also expensive. On average, most water backup claims cost $5,000-$10,000 to repair.

Water backup coverage is optional coverage that can be added to your existing homeowners policy for this type of situation. But since many homeowners policies either don’t cover water backups, or only offer limited protection, it’s worth learning more about this valuable and affordable option. Because you don’t want to find out you’re under-insured after you experience a water backup issue.

The amount of coverage you’ll need depends on several factors including:

- Whether you have a finished or unfinished basement.
- The size of your basement.
- The type of flooring in your basement (carpet, vinyl, hardwood, etc.).
- The type of wall material in your basement (drywall, paneling, etc.).
- Whether your basement has a bathroom.
- Whether you have a washer, dryer, or heating and cooling system in your basement.

Once we have this information, we can offer a quote for either adding the option or increasing your amount of water backup coverage. And the good news is this coverage is inexpensive. You can get quality coverage for less than $25 per month. To discuss your current homeowners policy with an expert, [contact us](/contact) today.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance.

## Insurance Quotes

Give us some info and we'll help you find the best coverage options.

[Request a Quote](/quotes)

## Insurance Partners

[Trusted Choice — Anthem — Assurant — Cigna — Humana — Openly — Prudential — RLI — Symetra — Auto Owners — Foremost Insurance — Hagerty — Kemper — Liberty Mutual — Progressive — Travelers](/insurance-companies)

## From Our Blog

[Is an Electric Car Right for You?](/blog/2026/is-an-electric-car-right-for-you)

[Six Tips to Minimize Risk of Extreme Weather on Your Business](/blog/2026/six-tips-to-minimize-risk-of-extreme-weather-on-your-business)

[What to Consider Before Installing a Home EV Charger](/blog/2026/what-to-consider-before-installing-a-home-ev-charger)

## Share This

- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cowartinsurance.com%2Fblog%2F2020%2Fwhat-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important.md)
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cowartinsurance.com%2Fblog%2F2020%2Fwhat-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important.md&text=What+is+water+backup+coverage+and+why+is+it+important%3F)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cowartinsurance.com%2Fblog%2F2020%2Fwhat-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important.md&title=What+is+water+backup+coverage+and+why+is+it+important%3F)
- [Email](mailto:?subject=What+is+water+backup+coverage+and+why+is+it+important%3F&body=Thought+you+might+be+interested...%0A%0AWhat+is+water+backup+coverage+and+why+is+it+important%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.cowartinsurance.com%2Fblog%2F2020%2Fwhat-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important.md)

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/blog/2020/what-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important#blogposting","url":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/blog/2020/what-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/blog/2020/what-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important#webpage"},"headline":"What is water backup coverage and why is it important?","datePublished":"2020-11-16T08:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-10-10T15:43:00Z","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/#organization","name":"Cowart Insurance Agency"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/#organization","name":"Cowart Insurance Agency"}},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/#organization","url":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/","name":"Cowart Insurance Agency"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/#webpage","url":"https://www.cowartinsurance.com/","name":"What is water backup coverage and why is it important?"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/blog","name":"Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/blog/2020/what-is-water-backup-coverage-and-why-is-it-important","name":"What is water backup coverage and why is it important?"}}]}]}
```