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Water damage insurance claims

Know what to expect if your home is damaged by water.

Report homeowners claim

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 Notice a water leak?

Here are a few steps to help protect your home.

  • Turn the water off.
  • Take notes and photos of the leak and any damage.
  • Clean up any standing water and try to dry things out as best you can.
  • Contact a plumber or appliance technician if needed.
  • Save any estimates, invoices or receipts. Send them to your adjuster as soon as possible.
Stopping Water Damage in Your Home

Video Duration: 2 minutes 13 seconds

Mitigate your water damage: Elapsed time 0 seconds [00:00]

After a leak or flood in your home, water damage mitigation should be top of mind to prevent further issues. Here are a few steps you can take to help protect your home.

Safety comes first: Elapsed time 10 seconds [00:10]

Remember safety is of utmost importance. Please make sure to wear gloves, eye wear and masks when working in water effected areas. If an area does look hazardous, please wait till a professional can come evaluate.

First steps: Elapsed time 24 seconds [00:24]

If you have a plumbing leak, make sure to turn off the water. Remove any standing water and wet materials. Use a wet vacuum to remove water from floors, carpets and hard surfaces. Dry your home and everything in it. If you don't have access to a wet vacuum, use mops and towels to try to mitigate if possible.

Unattended wet carpet is prone to mold and mildew. Do your best to pull back carpet and allow it to dry, wet or damaged carpet pad can be cut out and disposed of to eliminate odor and microbial growth.

Ventilate your home: Elapsed time 57 seconds [00:57]

While you're at home, open all doors and windows to help with ventilation. Open inside doors, especially closets and interior rooms to let air flow to all areas. Also, open kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity doors.

When electricity is safe to use, use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture. Do not use fans if mold has already started to grow, because the fans may spread the mold. Remove all mold you can see.

Clean and document: Elapsed time 1 minute 25 seconds [01:25]

Clean personal property and wet materials with water and mild detergent. Dry right away.

Do not mix bleach and ammonia, as it can create toxic vapors. It's OK if you have to throw away items that are unsalvageable, but please make sure to keep photos and documents to discuss with your adjuster.

Calling professional assistance: Elapsed time 1 minute 45 seconds [01:45]

If you happen to have sewer or what is called black water damage to your home, seek professional assistance.

If you feel your home is uninhabitable due to this loss, please take precautions to protect yourself or if possible, vacate the home. Contact your adjuster for further guidance.

You can check the status of your claim by downloading the USAA Mobile App or by going to usaa.com/help.

End: Elapsed time 2 minute 13 seconds [02:13]


How water damage claims work

We’ll help you with every step of your claim and provide personalized updates along the way.

Steps to complete How water damage claims work

  1. Report your claim

    Tell us what happened. Get started on usaa.com or the USAA Mobile App.

  2. Get more details

    We’ll review what happened and check what your policy covers. You can also add more details in My Claims Center.

  3. Evaluate the claim

    We’ll go over the details and figure out what to pay based on your coverage and deductible.

  4. Settle the claim

    If the damage is covered, we’ll make a payment to you or a third party.

How water mitigation helps dry your home and reduce damage

A water restoration company uses special equipment to quickly remove water and extract moisture from walls and floors. They also prevent mold growth and other damage.

By acting fast, they help restore your home and minimize the impact of water damage. If you have a covered loss, we can send a water cleanup professional to assist you.

Here's what you can expect during the process:

  • They’ll set up equipment to help with drying.
  • Some damage may require demolition.
  • They might perform daily monitoring to check the drying progress.
  • The entire process usually takes 4 to 7 days.
  • You may need to pay your deductible to the water removal company.

What to expect during water damage repair

Contractors have the skills and tools to fix water damage safely. The repair process can be different depending on the extent of the damage and other factors. Here’s what you can typically expect.

Set repair timeline

The time it takes to complete the repairs depends on the type of damage, your availability and the contractor's schedule. The contractor will work with you to set the timeline.

Schedule repairs

Contractors typically start repairs after the estimate is approved. But major weather events can cause delays.

Work with subcontractors

Multiple subcontractors might be involved, handling tasks like painting or flooring.

Track progress

As the work progresses, the contractor should walk you through the repairs and note any remaining items.

What should you do if you find more damage?

Contact your adjuster

If you discover more damage after the work starts, let your adjuster know right away. You can message them through My Claims Center. They need to approve any additional costs before the contractor continues the repairs.

Submit a supplement

Your policy might cover the additional damage with a supplement. This is just another payment to you or your contractor. Check out our video to learn more about supplements.

Still need help?

If you can’t find the information you need, give us a call at 800-531-USAA (8722).

Ready to start your homeowners water damage claim?

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