Your home depends on several service lines every day. These lines bring water, power, and other important services to your home. If one of them is damaged, repairs can be costly. We’ll outline what is covered by home insurance, what is not covered, and who is when you’re responsible for these lines.
What is Service Line Coverage on Your Home Insurance?
- What is a service line?
- What is service line coverage on home insurance and what does it cover?
- Does home insurance cover damaged water and sewer lines?
- Who is responsible for service lines between your home and the street?
- What is not covered by service line coverage?
1. What is a Service line?
A service line is a pipe, wire, or cable that connects your home to a public utility or another service. Many of these lines are underground and run from your home toward the street.
Service lines can include water pipes, sewer pipes, electrical wiring, and other utility connections. Your home relies on these lines for many basic services.
Because service lines are often underground, damage can be hard to spot. A problem may only become clear when a pipe leaks, a drain backs up, or a service stops working.
2. What Is Service Line Coverage on Home Insurance and What Does it Cover?
Service Line Coverage is an optional coverage that may be added to a home insurance policy. It can help pay to repair or replace certain service lines that you are responsible for.
Coverage can vary by insurance company and policy. Depending on your policy, it may cover damage caused by things such as wear and tear, rust, corrosion, freezing, tree roots, or mechanical breakdown.
It may also help with costs related to the repair. For example, workers may need to dig up part of your lawn or driveway to reach a damaged line. Some policies may help pay to restore the affected area after the repair is complete.
3. Does home insurance cover damaged water and sewer lines?
A standard home insurance policy may not cover every type of damage to an underground water or sewer line. This can leave homeowners responsible for a large repair bill.
Service Line Coverage can provide added protection for eligible water and sewer lines. For example, it may help if a covered underground pipe breaks because of tree roots, corrosion, or another cause listed in your policy.
4. Who is responsible for service lines between your home and the street?
Many homeowners are surprised to learn that they may be responsible for some service lines outside their home.
A utility company or municipality may be responsible for the main line in the street. The homeowner may be responsible for the part that runs from the main line to their house. The exact point where responsibility changes can depend on the utility, municipality, and type of service.
This is why it is helpful to know where your responsibility begins and ends. Your local utility provider or municipality can help you confirm which parts of a service line you are responsible for.
5. What is Not Covered by Service Line Coverage?
Service Line Coverage does not cover every type of damage or every service line. Exclusions can vary between insurance companies and policies.
For example, a policy may exclude lines that you do not own or are not responsible for. Septic systems, wells, fuel tanks, or other equipment may also have different coverage rules. Damage that existed before the policy started may not be covered.
There may also be limits on how much the insurer will pay. A deductible may apply when you make a claim.
Review your policy wording to understand exactly what is included and excluded. If you are unsure, ask your insurance broker or provider to explain your coverage.
Final Thoughts on Service Line Coverage
A damaged underground service line can lead to an unexpected and expensive repair. Service Line Coverage can help protect you from certain costs that may not be covered by a standard home insurance policy.
Every home and insurance policy is different. Knowing which service lines you are responsible for and what your policy covers can help you avoid surprises.
