Knowing I'm on the hook for almost $3,000 to fix a leak in my kitchen made me think twice about my homeowners insurance

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• I have homeowners insurance, so I wasn't too worried when my floor started leaking.
• However, many types of water damage aren't covered — and it can be costly to file a claim.
• I'm paying out of pocket, but I'm also adding a rider to my insurance to protect me in the future.

When I first saw water coming up between two of the wood floor planks in my kitchen, I suspected there was a water leak. Something similar had happened when I was renting a townhouse years ago, and it had turned out to be a dishwasher leak.

Since I have homeowners insurance, I figured I was covered for any water damage to my kitchen, including the floor and cabinets.

This time, the water was in front of the refrigerator, so I checked both the refrigerator and the dishwasher, but they were both dry. A thorough look under the kitchen sink cabinet also showed no signs of water damage.

After a quick call with my plumber, I continued monitoring the spot where I first saw water. He suggested calling a leak detection service if I saw any more water coming up between the floorboards. While I saw no more water in the coming weeks, the wood started warping and getting wavy.

More water and floor damage

Three days before I planned to go on a trip, I noticed the wood floors in front of my sink bubbled up and started creating a hump. The following day, I heard water squishing under the hump when I stepped on it. The leak had gotten worse.

However, there weren't any signs of a leak from the fridge, dishwasher, or sink. It was time to schedule the leak detection company to come out.

Because I was about to leave town shortly, I scheduled the leak detection company to come out when I got home. While I was gone, I had the city turn off the water to my house to ensure I didn't return to a flooded kitchen.

The leak detection company ran several tests to determine if I had a slab leak or something else. It turned out to be the copper kitchen water drain pipe. The leak detection cost me $395.

My house was built in 1968 and has a variety of pipes running throughout — PEX pipes, PVC pipes, and copper pipes among them. My plumber said that copper pipes are bound to fail — it's only a matter of time.

Water damage often isn't covered by homeowners insurance

According to Wes Slater, a private client advisor with HUB Private Client, a division of full-service global insurance brokerage HUB International, water claims make up about a third of all insurance claims in the U.S.

However, not all water damage is covered. Slater says sudden and accidental leaks, such as a pipe breaking, are usually covered by homeowners insurance policies, but slow leaks over time may not be. Most homeowners insurance policies cover flooding from sewer or drain backups only if the policy includes a special rider. In addition, water from a storm is generally covered under separate flood insurance or under homeowners insurance riders.

The estimates for fixing the drain pipe ranged between $440 and $1,200. I ended up paying $440 and am happy with the fix and having the water back on. The plumber had to cut into two of my cabinets to fix the pipes. My next step was to find a contractor to fix the cabinets and replace the damaged floors.

Fixing the damage is costly

While getting the leak detected and fixing the pipes cost me $835, the biggest cost is fixing the damage caused by the water leak. I have wood floors throughout my entire house, and my kitchen is open to the dining room and living room. This means I needed to consider how much of the kitchen floor I could replace without having to replace the floors in the entire house.

Fortunately, I have some extra boxes of floorboards that could help patch up the areas damaged by water. However, it would require moving a few things around to see how far the water damage extends. Right now, it looks like this will cost me around $1,500 to $2,000, but it could be much higher depending on the required repairs.

It might not be worth filing

While repairing my floors could set me back thousands of dollars, Slater recommends that most people think twice before filing a water-related homeowner's claim. This could affect your homeowners insurance rates for years and make it more difficult to get coverage.

"Water damage claims are a big red flag," he says. "Statistically, if you have a water claim, it's much more likely that you will have a second one within five years."

In most states, your homeowners claim history goes back five years. It's important to weigh the pros and cons of filing a claim, especially if you've recently had other homeowners claims. Slater recommends having a conversation with a trusted insurance advisor, such as an insurance broker, to determine when to file a claim and when to pay out of pocket.

Why I'm paying out of pocket

Since my water damage happened over a few months, it wasn't a sudden event that falls under my homeowners insurance coverage. This means I'm on the hook for paying thousands of dollars out of pocket to repair the water damage from the leak.

When I renew my homeowners policy, I will review my coverage and ensure I have adequate insurance for any future water damage. I'm also going to add a rider to my homeowners insurance for sewer and drain backup to ensure I'm covered if something happens. Because my house is old, there's a greater chance of water damage down the road.