YORK TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- Spring showers may be great for flowers, but for homeowners in flood-prone areas it’s a whole different story.
“I’ve had homeowners cry in front of me because they just got done a week ago putting $30,0000 into a remodel job and it flooded," said Denny Cottrell, owner at Cottrell Basement Waterproofing.
Denny Cottrell with Cottrell Basement Waterproofing says he’s been getting a lot of calls lately asking to get a sump pump installed.
The pump, which is put into the ground of a basement — takes any rain water trying to come up through the floor — back outside, away from the home, protecting it from water damage.
But not everyone has one — or thinks they need it, until it’s too late.
“Most people won’t realize there’s a problem because there’s a finished basement and the two by fours absorb the moisture," said Cottrell.
While sump pumps are great — Nick Daniels with Dietz Bluett Insurance Solutions says people should also have flood insurance as a backup—something regular homeowners insurance does not cover.
“Some pumps can go out they can malfunction, sometimes especially in a flood situation it’s going to be too much for that pump to handle," said Nick Daniels, Dietz Bluett Insurance Solutions.
But with flood insurance Daniels says if there is a flood, your property and investment will be covered to replace those damages.
“If there is a flood, this way your property and your investment will be covered to replace those damages," added Daniels.
Sump Pump or not — taking the right steps to cover your investment in the case of a flood is something to consider before the damage is done.
“There’s different types of coverages on your homeowners policy and I would urge homeowners to look at their policy and see if they have water and sewer backup for example," added Daniels.
You can also avoid a wet basement by being proactive.
“The best thing to do is if they’re calling for a big storm tomorrow, take 5 gallons of water, dump it in there and see the float rise and see if it operates," added Cottrell.