Does home insurance cover blocked drains or tree roots?
Updated October 2026
Usually not for the drain itself. Most Australian home insurance policies exclude blockages and gradual damage such as tree roots growing into pipes, so clearing, repairing or relining the pipe is generally the owner's cost. What may be covered is the damage that results, for example water or sewage damage to floors and walls from a sudden escape of liquid, depending on your policy wording.
| Option | Typical Sydney cost | Block Drains |
|---|---|---|
| Tree root cutting in a drain | $400–$1,500 | Fixed quote |
| Pipe relining | $3,000–$12,000 | Fixed quote |
| CCTV drain inspection | $200–$550 | $249 |
What's usually not covered
- Clearing a blocked drain.
- Tree roots gradually growing into pipes, and repairing the pipes they've cracked.
- Wear and tear, old clay pipes and poor maintenance.
- Damage that happened slowly over time, such as a long-running leak.
- Pipes outside the building itself. Some policies treat sewer and stormwater pipes in the yard differently from pipes inside, so check where the policy's cover stops.
What may be covered
- Water or sewage damage to the home caused by a sudden escape of liquid, under a water damage or escape of liquid section.
- Some policies add cover for finding the source of a leak, or for accidental damage.
- Damage from a tree falling in a storm, which is treated differently from root damage.
Policy terms that decide a claim
- Defined events: most Australian home policies pay only for listed events, such as storm, fire, flood or escape of liquid. A blocked drain usually isn't one of them.
- Escape of liquid: water or another liquid suddenly leaking from a fixed pipe, appliance or tank. It typically covers the damage the liquid causes, not fixing the pipe it came from.
- Gradual damage, wear and tear: damage that builds up over time, such as roots slowly cracking a pipe. Policies usually exclude it.
How to check your policy
- Open the product disclosure statement (PDS) and search for 'escape of liquid', 'tree roots', 'gradual damage' and 'wear and tear'.
- Check the excess, so you know whether a claim is worth making.
- Call the insurer before work starts if you plan to claim. Some want their own assessor to see the damage first.
Evidence an insurer will want
- CCTV footage and a written report showing the cause and where it is.
- Photos of the resulting damage before anything is cleaned up.
- An itemised invoice from a licensed plumber, with dates.
- Block Drains' $249 camera inspection includes a written report with the location and type of each fault, the kind of evidence insurers usually ask for.
If you disagree with a claim decision
Ask the insurer for the reasons in writing and use its internal complaints process. If you're still not satisfied, you can take the complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), a free, independent dispute service for insurance.
If the insurer says no
Fixing a root-damaged pipe properly is usually still cheaper than clearing it again and again. In Sydney, root cutting typically costs $400–$1,500 each time, while relining typically costs $3,000–$12,000 and seals the joints the roots get through.
Need evidence for a claim?
A camera inspection gives you footage and a written report of the cause and location.
Questions
- Is tree root damage to sewer pipes covered by insurance?
- Generally not. Most policies treat root intrusion as gradual damage. Check your PDS, because wording varies.
- Will insurance pay for a CCTV drain inspection?
- Usually only as part of an accepted claim, though some policies cover the cost of finding a leak. Ask your insurer before booking if you plan to claim.
Sources
More guides
- Pipe relining vs dig and replace: cost compared
- Hydro jetting vs electric eel: which clears a drain better?
- Is a CCTV drain inspection worth it?
- How to spot a bait-and-switch plumbing quote in Sydney
- Is pipe relining worth it for old clay pipes?
- Do you get the footage from a CCTV drain inspection?