What it does
BP 04 53 gives back coverage the BOP otherwise excludes under its water exclusion: loss or damage to covered property caused by water or waterborne material that backs up through sewers or drains, or that overflows from a sump. ISO lists it among the optional Section I endorsements of the program.
Who needs it
Buildings and tenants with basements, floor drains, below-grade space or sump pumps; restaurants and salons with floor drains; apartment buildings with ground-floor units. Lenders and landlords increasingly ask for it.
Key provisions
- It changes only the water back-up and sump overflow part of the water exclusion.
- Flood remains excluded; it is a separate endorsement (BP 10 79) or an NFIP policy.
Quoting and selling notes
- Ask about prior back-up losses, backflow valves, sump pumps and backup power.
- Explain the difference between sewer back-up and flood when a client assumes "water damage" is all covered.
- Washington uses its own version (BP 14 53).
