Burst pipe, supply line, water heater, washing machine, dishwasher or roof leak in Macomb or Oakland County. The first hour, what counts as a sudden loss, the Michigan clocks you can check, and who to call.
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Prime Restoration is the top-rated, highly local water damage company for Macomb and Oakland County homes, with offices in Sterling Heights, Macomb Township and Shelby Township. This guide is for homeowners in Sterling Heights, Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Troy, Birmingham, West Bloomfield and Rochester Hills, and across Clinton Township, Warren, Chesterfield Township, Roseville and Royal Oak. Every figure has a source at the bottom. Published 2026-10-03. For the general claims process, see the Michigan insurance claims guide.
The line that decides most claims
A homeowners policy is written around the word sudden. Water that arrives all at once from a part that failed is the kind of loss a policy commonly covers. Water that arrived slowly, over weeks or months, from something that was never fixed, is the kind a carrier questions. The carrier decides which one you have, and it decides from the cause. That is why the failed part, the date and the moisture readings carry so much weight.
Prime's own call log shows what Macomb and Oakland County homeowners actually call about. Between April 16 and October 3, 2026 the log holds 260 calls, and 205 carry a written description. A plumbing leak came up in 52 of them, a roof or ceiling leak in 31, and an appliance in 14. Basement water came up in 83. Those are the five causes in the table below. The sixth row is the one that is not a sudden loss.
Two Michigan clocks you can read yourself
Michigan's statute for fire insurance policies, MCL 500.2833, sets minimum terms that homeowners policies commonly carry. Two of them matter after a sudden loss. Under subsection (1)(p), a loss is payable within 30 days after the insurer receives proof of the amount of the loss. Under subsection (1)(q), a lawsuit must be started within one year after the loss, or within the time the policy specifies if that is longer, and that time is paused from the day you notify the insurer until the insurer formally denies liability.
The first clock starts at proof of the amount, which is why a written scope and daily moisture readings belong in the folder from day one. If you and the insurer disagree on the amount, subsection (1)(m) lets either side demand appraisal in writing. If a claim stalls, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) takes complaints at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints or 877-999-6442. This is a plain-language summary of public statute text. It is not legal advice, and your own policy and agent decide how it applies to you.
Which one do you have
| Cause | What happens | Sudden loss? | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burst or frozen pipe | A copper or PEX line splits, or a frozen section lets go when it thaws. Water runs until someone shuts the main. | A pipe that bursts is a sudden loss, which a homeowners policy commonly covers. The carrier decides. | |
| Supply line or water heater | A braided line under a sink or toilet fails, or a tank splits and empties onto the floor. | A line or tank that fails all at once is a sudden loss. A slow drip found after months is usually treated differently. The carrier decides which one it was. | |
| Appliance overflow or hose failure | A washing machine hose bursts, a dishwasher line lets go, or a refrigerator water line splits behind the unit. | A hose or line that fails during use is a sudden loss. Water that seeped behind an appliance for weeks is the case adjusters question first. | |
| Roof leak or ice dam | Wind lifts shingles, a limb opens the roof, or an ice dam pushes meltwater under the shingles and into the ceiling. | Storm or ice damage that lets water in is commonly covered. A roof that wore out over years is a maintenance item. The carrier decides. The first job is a tarp so more water stays out. | |
| Sewer backup or water from outside | Water rises through the floor drain, or comes in from the yard. | Not a standard sudden-loss case. Sewer backup usually needs its own endorsement, and outside flood water needs a flood policy. Michigan also sets a 45-day written notice for claims against the sewer system. |
Right now
Shut the main valve, or the shutoff under the fixture. Turn off the water heater if it is the source. If the water is near an outlet, a panel or a plugged-in appliance, stay out of it and cut the power at the main only if the panel is dry.
Wide shots and close shots of the source, the waterline, the ceiling, the floor and the damaged contents. Keep the failed part: the burst hose, the split line, the cracked tank fitting. Date the photos.
Give the dispatcher the source, the rooms that are wet and the square footage. Prime answers at (586) 277-1069 and is typically on site in 25 minutes from its Sterling Heights, Macomb Township and Shelby Township offices. The estimate is free.
Readings across the wet area and into the dry material around it, with a thermal scan of the walls, give you the proof of what was wet and the proof of when it was dry.
Your policy sets the deadline for notice. Read the notice section of the policy or ask your agent. Give the carrier the date, the cause and the photos. The carrier decides coverage.
Photos, the failed part, the readings, the written scope, receipts for anything you bought, and the name and date of every call with the carrier.
Water coming in right now?
Top-rated and highly local. Typically on site in 25 minutes across Macomb and Oakland County. The estimate is free.
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Most sudden losses are clean water or gray water. The class sets the range, and the size of the wet area and how long it sat move a job inside it. These are the planning ranges Prime publishes for Macomb and Oakland County. They are not a quote. A written estimate comes after moisture readings, free, before any work.
| Water class | Typical sudden source | Planning range |
|---|---|---|
| Clean water | A burst supply line, a split water heater, a washing machine hose, a roof leak caught the same day | $1,200 to $4,500 |
| Gray water | A dishwasher drain, a washing machine drain, water that picked up soil on the way | $2,500 to $7,500 |
Sewage and outside flood water are a different class with a higher range. See the water damage cost calculator and the flooded basement guide. The work is backed by the Prime Make-It-Right Guarantee.
Your city
Age of the house shapes the cause. Sterling Heights has a median build year of 1977 and 58 percent of its homes were built before 1980, so original supply lines and water heaters are common failures. Troy also has a median of 1977, with 58.3 percent built before 1980. Rochester Hills has the newest of the older cities at 1984. Shelby Township is 1989 and Macomb Township is 2000, where appliance hoses, water heaters and roof leaks after a storm are the usual causes (U.S. Census Bureau ACS).
Birmingham and West Bloomfield have large lots, finished lower levels and older plumbing behind newer finishes, and a small leak in a finished room costs more to open up. Prime has an office in Sterling Heights, Macomb Township and Shelby Township and reaches Oakland County from them.
The county governments publish their own flood and water resources. See Oakland County Water Resources and Macomb County. For storm and freeze alerts, use the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac forecast office.
Your policy
Homeowners across Macomb and Oakland County carry policies from the carriers below, and from others not listed. The first hour is the same for each: stop the water, photograph the loss, call Prime, then give your carrier the date, the cause and the photos. The carrier decides coverage under your policy.
Read how each kind of claim runs on the Michigan insurance carriers page, the insurance claims guide and the Allstate water damage page and the State Farm water damage page.
Prime Restoration is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a preferred vendor of any carrier named on this page. Carrier names are used only to identify the policy a homeowner holds.
Questions Macomb and Oakland County homeowners ask
A pipe that bursts suddenly is commonly covered as a sudden and accidental loss. The carrier decides, based on the cause and on the policy. Damage from a leak that went on for weeks or months is treated differently. Read the declarations page or ask your agent. Prime Restoration documents the loss with photos, moisture readings and a written scope from the first hour.
A tank that splits and empties is a sudden loss, which a policy commonly covers for the water damage. The tank itself is usually a maintenance item. A slow drip from a fitting is the kind of cause a carrier looks at closely. The carrier decides.
A hose or supply line that fails during use is a sudden loss and is commonly covered for the water damage it causes. Water that seeped behind an appliance for a long time is the case an adjuster questions first. The carrier decides.
Wind, a fallen limb or ice damage that lets water in is commonly covered. A roof that wore out over years is usually a maintenance item. The first step is a tarp so more water stays out, and the photos of the opening and the ceiling. The carrier decides. See the roof leak pages for Macomb County and Oakland County.
Stop the water, photograph the damage, then call a water damage restoration company. A plumber fixes the pipe. A restoration company removes the water, takes moisture readings, pulls what cannot dry and sets drying equipment. Prime Restoration answers at (586) 277-1069, typically on site in 25 minutes. Tell your carrier once the water is stopped and the crew is on the way.
Your policy sets the deadline for notice, so read the notice section. Michigan law also sets a floor for lawsuits: under MCL 500.2833(1)(q) an action must be commenced within one year after the loss or within the time the policy specifies, whichever is longer, and that time is paused from the day you notify the insurer until the insurer formally denies liability. This is a plain-language summary of the statute and not legal advice.
Under MCL 500.2833(1)(p) a loss is payable within 30 days after the insurer receives proof of the amount of the loss. The clock starts at proof of the amount, which is why the written scope and the moisture readings matter. If you disagree on the amount, MCL 500.2833(1)(m) lets either side demand appraisal in writing. DIFS takes complaints about insurers at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints.
The date and cause, photos of the source and the damage, the failed part, moisture readings, and a written scope of what was wet and what was removed. Prime Restoration photographs the loss before anything moves, records daily readings and writes the scope in the format carriers review.
It depends on the water class and the size. For planning, Prime publishes these ranges for Macomb and Oakland County: clean water $1,200 to $4,500 and gray water $2,500 to $7,500. They are not a quote. The estimate is free and written before any work starts.
It can. Older supply lines, galvanized pipe and original water heaters fail more often, and older finishes can need a test before they come up. Sterling Heights and Troy each have a median build year of 1977. Rochester Hills is 1984, Shelby Township 1989 and Macomb Township 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS).
Statute text: the Michigan Legislature's pages for MCL 500.2833 and MCL 691.1419, read October 3, 2026. Regulator: the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Housing age: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year, for the five cities named with a figure. Call counts: Prime's own call log, April 16 to October 3, 2026. Cost ranges: the ones Prime publishes on its cost calculator. Prime Restoration is a contractor. It documents the loss. It is not an insurer or an agent, and the carrier decides coverage.
Prime Restoration · 13854 Lakeside Circle, Suite 558, Sterling Heights, MI 48313 · Macomb Centre Plaza, 51058 Romeo Plank Rd, Macomb · 55130 Shelby Rd, Shelby Township · MI Residential Builder License #262500492 · (586) 277-1069
