Plumbing and Drainage Insurance

Burst pipes and blocked drains can be a headache for any homeowner. Plumbing and drainage cover can be a lifeline, protecting your finances against any problems.

What is plumbing and drainage insurance?

Plumbing and drainage insurance can protect you financially against water damage from burst pipes, leaking or overflowing drains and other plumbing problems.

Does home insurance cover plumbing and drainage?

Plumbing and drainage cover is often included in home insurance policies. However, your coverage can vary depending on your insurer and what you choose when you take out your policy.

What’s covered by plumbing and drainage insurance?

Home Emergency cover includes plumbing and drainage insurance, protecting you against:

emergency callout fees for approved tradespeople visiting your home
blocked drains within your property boundary
blocked toilets or toilets that won’t flush properly
burst pipes that are leaking uncontrollably
blockages in kitchen sinks that make them unusable.

You can also choose Home and Heating Emergency cover, which includes the above benefits and additional boiler cover, protecting you against leaks from hot water pipes and radiators or boiler breakdowns.

What isn’t covered by plumbing and drainage insurance?

Your plumbing and drainage insurance won’t protect you against:

everyday repairs and maintenance issues
plumbing or drainage issues caused by poor installation
problems in shared drains outside your property
faulty appliances that are not working properly
damage to showers, including showerheads or pipes.

Do I need plumbing and drainage cover?

Plumbing systems can be complex, especially in old properties. Every homeowner faces the risk of water damage when pipes get blocked or damaged.

Adding plumbing and drain cover to your home insurance could save you from expensive repair bills, especially if the emergency happens outside working hours, like a Sunday night or over Christmas.

How much does plumbing and drainage cover cost?

Lots of things affect the cost of Saga Home Insurance policies, including where you live, your property type and claims history. For an accurate picture of insurance costs, enter your details and get a quote online.

Add Saga Home Emergency cover to your home insurance, giving you unlimited callouts for blocked drains and pipes.

How to prevent burst pipes

While having plumbing and drainage insurance can give you extra reassurance, there are ways to reduce your chances of having to make a claim. Below are some ideas for how you can prevent burst pipes.

Insulate (‘lag’) water pipes and tanks with foam.
Keep your home warm in cold weather to encourage warm airflow.
Avoid blocking your drains with oils, fats, sanitary products and wipes.

Know where your stopcock is and how to turn it off at the first sign of a leak, stopping the mains water supply while you wait for a plumber.
Use hot water bottles to thaw frozen pipes, turning off the water at the mains first – never use an open flame.

Does Saga cover plumbing and drainage?

Saga Home Insurance covers damage caused by leaking or overflowing drains and replacing flooring that's been removed to investigate a leak.

Saga Plus Buildings cover insures the cost of replacing pipes and drains after Accidental Damage and replacing flooring that’s been removed to investigate a leak.

For more extensive cover, you can add Home Emergency to a Saga Home Insurance policy. This lets you make unlimited emergency callouts for problems like burst water pipes and drains when there's escape of water.