Water damage insurance claim help in Las Vegas
Water damage insurance claims turn on one question, where the water came from, because the Nevada Division of Insurance says standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage.
Flood or water damage
Water that comes in from outside, rising across the ground, is flood. The Nevada Division of Insurance says flood damage is not covered under standard homeowners, commercial and renters policies. Flood coverage comes from an NFIP policy or a private flood policy. FloodSmart says NFIP building policies cover up to $250,000 and contents up to $100,000 for homeowners.
Water that starts inside, from a pipe, a water heater or an appliance, is usually a homeowners question. Many forms cover sudden and accidental discharge. Several forms on file with the Nevada Division of Insurance do not pay to fix the pipe or appliance itself.
Sudden or gradual
Forms set a time line for slow leaks. An American Family form on file in Nevada excludes seepage over one week or longer. A USAA form uses 14 days or more. An ISO based AAA endorsement uses weeks, months or years, and keeps coverage for seepage nobody in the home knew about that was hidden in walls, ceilings or floors. Read your own form.
What we hand your adjuster
Photos of every wet room before anything moves. A moisture map with readings, dates and rooms. A list of removed materials and why each came out. If you hit trouble with a claim, the Nevada Division of Insurance says policyholders can call it at (888) 872-3234.
The first hour
| Clock | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 min | Get people out of the water | Do not walk or drive through moving water. Ready.gov says six inches of moving water can knock you down and one foot can sweep a car away. |
| 2 min | Stop the source if you safely can | For a pipe, close the main shutoff. LVVWD says it is usually in the front yard near the sewer riser cap, in the garage or at the home's manifold. |
| 5 min | Keep away from wet power | Ready.gov says not to touch electrical equipment that is wet or while you stand in water. Leave the breaker panel alone if the floor around it is wet. |
| 10 min | Call or text (702) 602-9420 | Tell us where the water came from, which rooms are wet and whether it came in from outside. That decides the crew and the gear. |
| 15 min | Photograph everything before it moves | Wide shots of each room, close shots of the water line on walls, and the source. Your insurer will ask for these. |
| 30 min | Lift and separate | Move rugs, boxes and furniture off wet floors. Put foil or wood blocks under furniture legs that must stay. |
| 45 min | Treat flood water as dirty | Floodwater can be contaminated, per Ready.gov. Wear gloves and boots. Keep children and pets out. |
| 60 min | Start the 48 hour clock | EPA says to dry water damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Extraction and drying should start inside that window. |
Local numbers behind this page
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NFIP building limit, homeowners | $250,000 | FloodSmart by FEMA |
| NFIP contents limit | $100,000 | FloodSmart by FEMA |
| New flood policy wait | 30 days | FloodSmart by FEMA |
| NFIP claims outside high risk zones | 40% | Nevada Division of Insurance |
| Seepage cutoff, American Family form | 1 week | American Family homeowners form HO 80 03 01 14 |
| Seepage cutoff, USAA form | 14 days | USAA homeowners form HO 3R |
| Nevada DOI claim help line | (888) 872-3234 | Nevada Division of Insurance |