What is Service Line Coverage?
Service line breaks can be damaging, costly, and can come seemingly out of nowhere - as the warning signs of potential breaks are often not visible to homeowners. Service lines run underneath your property and are essential in proving your home with water, gas, power, and many other important services.
At Berry Insurance, we’ve seen just how damaging and inconvenient service line breaks can be, especially when homeowners are forced to pay for any damages or repairs out of pocket due to lack of proper coverage on their homeowners insurance policy. Having to tear up your home garden to access a punctured pipe should be the extent of your worries in a situation like this, not covering the full cost as well.
In this article we’ll go over the optional endorsement you can add onto your policy to cover your home from any potential service line damages, as well as what the coverage does and does not include under its policy protections.
Are service lines covered by home insurance?
While service lines make up an integral part of any home, they are not typically included within a standard homeowners insurance policy. Service lines are instead covered through an additional endorsement that can be added onto your policy, one that is offered by most insurance carriers.
Service line coverage offers insurance against any unexpected expenses that would come from the damage of service lines on your property, such as a water pipe blocked by tree roots or a cracked sewer line. This coverage would cover the costs of repairing or replacing utility lines, including any required costly excavation to access the broken lines and landscaping that may get damaged during the repairs.
Your homeowners deductible would be applied before coverage could be granted, having your deductible amount being taken out of the cost for repairs or replacements from your insurance provider.
While dependent upon the line and the amount of damage, service line breaks can typically cost anywhere from $5,000 - $10,000. This makes this endorsement an important one to add onto your policy to protect you against having to pay for the expensive damages yourself.
Covered damages:
The following are examples of types of damages that would typically be covered under service line coverage.
- Wear and tear
- Rust, decay, deterioration, and corrosion
- Tree or root obstruction or damage
- Vermin, insects, or rodents
- Landscaping or excavation accidents
- Freezing
- Collapse
- Mechanical breakdown
- Electrical breakdown
- Collapse from above-ground weight (such as from cars)
Types of service lines covered:
Here are examples of the many covered service lines that make up a home.
- Water pipes
- Telephone and cable lines
- Drain pipes
- Internet lines
- Natural gas lines
- Sewer pipes
- Fuel lines
- Sprinkler pipes
- Steam pipes
- Fiber optic lines
- Buried power lines
Types of service lines not covered:
These service lines are excluded from service line coverage.
- Fuel tanks
- Wiring or piping that runs through a body of water
- Septic systems
- Wiring or piping that isn’t connect and ready for use
How much does service line coverage cost?
This coverage would usually cost about $50 per year for the $10,000 to $20,000 of additional coverage it offers on top of your homeowners insurance policy. Overall cost and premium would vary depending on the insurance carrier.
Because of the low cost of the coverage per year and the important protections it offers, we here at Berry Insurance tend to recommend this coverage for all of our clients policies.
Protecting your home from service line breaks
As keeping up maintenance and inspections on systems you can’t always see can be difficult, it's better to keep yourself covered for any potential damages through comprehensive coverage on your homeowners insurance policy.
As a homeowner, it is important to know what coverages make up your homeowner insurance policy, including the areas where coverage may be lacking. To know more about areas that may be missing from your own policy, and how you can receive better coverage, check out this article: 5 Things that May be Missing from Your Home Insurance Policy.