1. CGC# 059274
What is the “14 day Water Loss Rule” from Insurance Companies?
In recent times, insurers have been writing into their policies, language that would cause a claim
denial if a water leak has gone on for more than 14 days. This denial is said to include leaks that
are obvious and/or hidden.
While obvious long term damage claims have always been denied, the question now arises, how
long a leak has been going on for, and not just when it was discovered. More carriers are using
this language to deny claims, and to us, as a restoration company, it seems that legitimate claims
are being denied. This is because an engineer or someone on behalf of the insurer determines the
leak has been going on for more than 14 days which falls under their denial of coverage rule.
Although our company Restoration Xperts, a General Contracting Company, and a Restoration
Company, cannot legally make coverage determinations, we can certainly discuss the physical
damages to a property, drawing upon our 15+ years of experience. In my personal experience, I
have seen claims denied due to the 14 day rule, where it appears clear to me, that whatever
damage occurred during the first 14 days of an active water leak is pretty much the same damage
that occurred after perhaps 21 days, or 30 days. There is no real significant change in damage
after the loss has originally occurred from 2 weeks to 4 weeks.
For example, drywall replacement is recommended after 72 hours of water exposure. So
whether a leak went on for 14 or 30 days, it essentially has no impact upon the requirement to
replace drywall. If cabinets that are constructed of particle board are wet for three days, they are
typically non-restorable. Therefore, if they are wet for 15 days, they are also non-restorable.
Real wood cabinets can withstand much more water damage compared to particle board but the
best plan for you is to simply call Restoration Xperts at 561.737.8673 for your immediate free
consultation. We will give you expert free advice if you should even file a claim.
If the spirit of the policy language is to have the ability to deny a claim that appears to be due to
long term water exposure, then we, as restorers, can certainly agree, that if a property owner lets
a condition go for an extended period of time, their claim should and will be denied. If a family,
however, goes on a two week vacation, and they spend a couple more days traveling, a water loss
could be denied with the 14 day rule applied. Is this the intent of the policy language?
We, at Restoration Xperts, see many claims being denied that would have not been denied just
five years ago. While we understand the stance of the insurer, we can certainly empathize with
the position of the property owner that feels unfairly treated by a denial under these terms. There
are other factors that might complicate the matter. One such factor is determining if a loss will
be covered, if for example, a tropical storm caused water intrusion for one day, and then the
weather changed, and the water intrusion ended. The damage, however, continued to increase,
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www.restorationxperts.net