UK water damage & escape of water claims
Water damage claim? Get the payout you're actually owed.
Most UK home insurance covers escape of water: burst pipes, leaks, appliance failures. Insurers still underpay and wrongly reject these claims. We help homeowners document, challenge and win a fair settlement.
paid out, every day
UK insurers pay out around £1.8 million a day for escape of water, one of the most common home insurance claims there is. Yours is valid and worth getting right. (Association of British Insurers)
The basics
What counts as a water damage claim?
Insurers call it "escape of water": damage from water leaking or bursting from something inside your home, meaning pipes, heating, a tank or an appliance. Flooding is the other thing, water coming in from outside.
Most standard home policies cover escape of water, and it is where payouts are most often too low.
Escape of water: usually covered
Burst or leaking pipes, a failed washing machine or dishwasher, an overflowing tank, a central-heating leak.
Watch the exclusions
Slow, gradual "wear and tear" leaks and poor maintenance are often not covered. Proving a sudden cause is the key.
Is it covered?
What you can usually claim for
A full water damage settlement is more than a new carpet. Make sure your claim includes all of it.
Buildings
Structural repairs: walls, ceilings, floors, plaster and fixed fittings the water damaged.
Contents
Ruined carpets, furniture and belongings, repaired or replaced at their proper value.
Trace & access
The cost of finding a hidden leak, lifting floors and opening walls, then reinstating afterwards.
Also often payable: alternative accommodation if your home is uninhabitable, and emergency drying and repairs.
The process
How to make a water damage claim
Five steps. The evidence you gather in the first day is what secures a full payout.
- 1
Stop & make safe
Turn off the stopcock and the electrics near the water.
- 2
Photograph everything
Before you clean up: every room, the source, each ruined item.
- 3
List the damage
An inventory of losses with rough values. Keep all receipts.
- 4
Notify your insurer
Same day if you can. The loss adjuster they send works for them.
- 5
Check before you accept
Get independent quotes. Do not accept the first offer blind.
Why we exist
Underpaid or refused? You can still turn it around.
Insurers reject and lowball valid escape-of-water claims every day, usually on "wear and tear" or maintenance, or by leaving trace and access, contents and alternative accommodation out of the settlement.
You can challenge a refusal, a low offer or a claim that has stalled with the right evidence. On larger claims, a loss assessor working for you renegotiates it.
Get a free claim reviewA denial isn't final
Request the reasons in writing, challenge with evidence, and escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if needed. In 2025/26 the Ombudsman upheld 38% of buildings insurance complaints.
You may be owed more
If the offer looks low, it often is. Check it against the true cost of putting your home back.
For claims over £10,000
When a loss assessor pays for itself
The insurer sends a loss adjuster, who protects the insurer's money. A loss assessor works for you: valuing the full loss, managing the claim and negotiating a fair settlement.
- Significant damage, roughly £10,000 or more
- Your claim has been denied, delayed or lowballed
- You don't have the time or stomach to fight it
More on claims over £10,000, and on what separates an adjuster from an assessor.
Common questions
Water damage claims, answered
Is it worth claiming on home insurance for water damage?
What does home insurance cover for water damage?
How long does a water damage claim take?
What is the average insurance payout for water damage in the UK?
No obligation
Get a free review of your water damage claim
Tell us what happened. We'll tell you whether your claim looks fairly handled and, for larger or disputed claims, connect you with a vetted loss assessor who works for you, not your insurer.