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Does homeowners insurance cover a slow plumbing leak?
Sudden water discharge and long-running seepage are handled by different clauses in most filed forms. Here is the wording that decides it.
What filed forms generally say
Most forms cover water damage that is sudden and accidental — a hose bursting, a pipe letting go.
Damage from “constant, repeated or intermittent discharge, seepage or leakage” over time is typically excluded, even when the same pipe would have been covered had it failed all at once.
A second exclusion often applies in parallel: rot, decay, deterioration, neglect and failure to make timely repairs.
Why your policy can still say something else
Some policies add a water-damage endorsement that changes this in either direction, and the time period that turns “sudden” into “constant” is defined differently across forms.
Clauses to look for in your own document
- Water Damage endorsement
- Exclusions — Seepage or Leakage
- Wear and Tear, Deterioration, Neglect
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PoliSays explains document wording. It is not an insurer, broker, or law firm, and nothing here is advice.