Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Replacing Cast Iron Pipes?

It’s hard to think of a time when PVC pipes weren’t a standard. Most homes in the US built before 1975 used a cast iron plumbing system, and this even happened well into the 80s in certain places.

Chances are if you bought a home that was built back then, you most likely have cast iron pipes. 

While cast iron is known as a highly durable material, it still deteriorates over time. To make matters worse, it usually deteriorates from the interior, making it hard to know about the actual state of your pipes.

According to research, cast iron pipes in Florida last between 40 and 60 years. So if you have an older home, you may experience drainage/plumbing problems sooner than expected.

So how do you go about this? Is replacing cast iron pipes an expensive project, and does homeowners insurance cover replacing cast iron pipes?

How Much Does It Cost To Replace The Pipes?

There are too many factors at play to be able to come up with an exact dollar amount. Nevertheless, you can expect to pay something in the rough ballpark of $175 per foot of pipes. 

As with any other project, you always need to consider extra costs. For example, you may have to replace the concrete or tiles, or vacate your home and pay for alternative accommodation.

Additionally, keep in mind that repairing the foundation may cost as high as $4k. If there is any water damage, you may have to pay around $2.5k in repairs, and if there’s any standing water, you’ll need to cash out a whopping $3k to remove it. 

We’ve seen iron cast pipe replacements projects cost from $20k and upwards of $100k for larger homes. This is a major expense, which is why many homeowners rightfully look for ways to avoid paying for the full bill out of pocket and wonder does homeowners insurance cover replacing cast iron pipes.

What Your Insurance Policy May Cover

Naturally, if you file a claim, your insurance company will cover the cost of new pipes, right? 

Regrettably, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Your insurance company will only pay for the replacement of pipes in certain events such as:

• Collapsed cast iron pipes
• Extensive deterioration of the pipes (holes or cracks)
• Overflow or backup of water

Here’s the part that confuses homeowners when they try to figure out if or when does the homeowner's insurance cover replacing cast iron pipes. Your insurance policy will cover all the expenses, but the pipes themselves.

What Does That Mean?

Even though PVC pipes aren’t that expensive (a 2,500 sq home requires about $2k in pipes), your insurer will only pay for indirect damages. For instance, they may cover the cost of cutting into the concrete slab and your floors, and accessing the pipes in multiple parts of your house.

However, if a backup or overflow created the mess or your pipes are cracked beyond repair, your insurance company may be able to cover the damage for the following:

• Floors 
• Kitchen cabinets destroyed by the overflow
• Walls
• Bathroom drywall
• Cutting through the concrete slab and replacing it with new concrete

Problems you may run into

Now that you know the answer to the question of does homeowners insurance cover replacing cast iron pipes, you may think you have enough information to file a claim. There is one problem though - insurance claims are rarely straightforward.

This is why you should involve a public adjuster in the claims process as soon as possible. While they will maximize your claim by negotiating with the adjuster from the insurance company, their biggest advantage is the knowledge they bring to the table.

A public adjuster will be able to clarify the ins and outs of your policy, which is crucial if you want to avoid any problems. 

Consider the following:

What if the insurance representative tells you they don’t cover any cast iron pipe replacements, or that your water damage limit is capped at 10k?

In some cases, this isn’t the end of the world and you can still receive coverage by closely analyzing your insurance policy with a public adjuster. 

Let’s look at a few examples:

1. Declaration page wording

Insurance policies aren’t easy to understand for most homeowners, which is why having a professional help you understand the specific wording is almost mandatory. On top of that, there are sometimes discrepancies buried within that are hard to recognize.

For example, a declaration page could contain a Water Damage Limit of 10k and state that the Water Damage Exclusion is included. 

This could mean either that you have a certain water damage limit and that you have no coverage for any water damage. 

Once you take a closer look at the endorsement page, you may see a sentence claiming that this water damage limit is available ‘’for an additional premium’’. Roughly speaking, this means you are supposed to pay a premium for a $10k limit. 

Yet, there is an inconsistency here - the declaration page doesn’t mention any premiums, it simply says included. In other words, you do have coverage for water damage.

This may be impossible to decipher without a public adjuster.

2. Endorsement wording

When previously talking about does homeowners insurance cover replacing cast iron pipes, we mentioned that your policy will most likely cover only indirect losses.

This is impossible to know without closely examining your policy.

For instance, the endorsement may mention things such as discharge or overflow of water, or sudden and accidental direct loss.

But nowhere does it mention indirect damages, only direct physical loss. This could refer to the water that overflowed and caused damage to your vanity, floors, or baseboards.

If we’re to go by what the policy outlines, nowhere does it say that it covers the costs of tearing into your concrete floor.

These are just two glaring examples of why a public adjuster is necessary for handling your claim properly.

A public adjuster eliminates all the confusion

Replacing an entire plumbing system is a major project, and since you’re already paying for your insurance policy, you deserve all the extra cash you can get. But as you can see, insurance policies are written in a way that is confusing for many, and your provider is banking on you staying confused so they can protect their interest.

Hiring a public adjuster simply levels the playing field.

If you have no idea where to start looking, Continental Public Adjusters is a good (and maybe the final) step. We have decades of experience clarifying incoherent insurance policies, filing claims, and negotiating with insurance companies. We’re ready to apply that experience to your claim too.

Call (800) 989-4769 to schedule a free consultation and eliminate all confusion from the claims process.