Flood insurance: get water damage coverage

Most home insurance policies in Canada don't protect you from floods arising from anything other than a burst pipe. However, with the increase in flooding and their intensity, we do see some home insurers adapt. Here is a list of insurance companies and the water protection they offer, either as a standard or an optional endorsement.

See the chart below for more details on available flood insurance coverage:

A report from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) states that the cost of natural disasters rose 14-fold since the 1950s. Water damage coverage & flood insurance can help pay to cover some of the damage, but the displacement from our homes, the claims processes, and the tragedy will live on forever in our minds.

In an ideal world, you’d never submit an insurance claim. Prevention becomes key. With that in mind, we’ve created a flood prevention checklist, for both indoor and outdoor, below.

Water damage prevention inside your home

• Try not to use your basement to store valuable items that could be damaged due to flood.
• If you have no to store those items elsewhere, try to put them up on shelving and in watertight containers.
• Perform a regular (annual) inspection of the plumbing pipes you can see. Check for any corrosion on copper piping (that would appear white or green) as well as leaks by feeling the pipe itself. If you live in a condo, make sure these checks are performed regularly and are on the maintenance calendar.
• Do not pour used oil or grease down drains because once they solidify, they can create a backup.
• Find out where your main water shut off is located. In an emergency, knowing how to shut off the water is essential in keeping damage to a minimum.
• Install leak detectors, and smart water valves that can remotely power down your main water shut off should a leak be detected.
• Install a backflow preventer.
• Install weeping tile and a sump pump.

Water damage prevention outside your home

• Make sure all your eavestroughs are in good working order and that the connected downspouts slope away from the foundation (ideally at least 3 feet).
• If you can't, make sure to use rain barrels to collect overflow water, or build a garden or a french drain to collect the water, preventing it from pooling around the foundation.
• Do not allow snow to accumulate around your foundation. Clear it away immediately from the perimeter, window wells, and entryways.
• Use concrete, mortar, and weather stripping to create a watertight seal wherever water could enter into the building — checking the caulking around all your windows. Water can drip in through a tiny hole of a top floor window and leak down to the main floor, making it hard to know the origin of the water.
• The floor drains just outside your basement entryway, near your foundation, or on the road should be kept clear of leaves and other debris. They must be clear so the water can properly escape.
• Basement windows should have window wells that ideally drain into a weeping tile to avoid water breaking through the window from pressure. The well should be kept clear of leaves and other debris.
• Ensure that grading around the foundation slopes away from the foundation or ensure it flows into a clean floor drain.
• Keep weeping tiles clear and in good repair.
• Ask the city to inspect the main drains for roots if you live in an area with mature trees
• Consider permeable solutions like interlock brick, instead of dense concrete.