What Is Service Line Coverage?

As a homeowner, you may not realize you’re legally responsible for repairing the damaged underground service lines that run to your home. The need for repairs on these essential pipes and wires can arise suddenly and be costly, requiring a chunk of change that not all homeowners have lying around. Service line coverage can protect you from these expensive repairs.

What Is a Service Line?

Service lines are exterior, underground piping and wiring, including permanent connections, valves or attached devices that provide a service to the residence. Examples include water supply, electrical power, gas, heating, waste disposal and communications.

Why Do I Need Service Line Coverage?

Okay, now you know what service lines are, but is water and sewer line insurance worth it? To answer this question, it’s important to know without this coverage added to your home policy, you may have no coverage for this currently. Service Line Coverage is an add-on insurance, also known as an optional coverage, meaning it’s likely not part of your standard homeowners policy, unless it has been specifically added. Many homeowners do not realize they’re financially responsible for these lines or assume they’re covered by utility companies or the city. This coverage offers peace of mind knowing that you have coverage in place when the unexpected happens and a large bill shows up with your name on it.

Common Causes of Service Line Damage

There are many ways service lines can be damaged, both naturally occurring and not. These are some of the most common:

• Wear and tear – utility lines can be damaged from long-term use.
• Intrusive tree roots – the trees in your yard sprawl far and wide underground and sometimes can cause damage to piping and wiring.
• Ground freeze – when pipes freeze in colder climates, significant damage can occur.
• Landscaping – your lawn can sustain damage from broken pipes and wires or from work done to repair or replace service lines.

What Service Line Coverage Includes

With Farm Bureau Service Line Coverage, repair or replacement of the service line and the cost of excavating or digging up the service line is typically included. Property damage caused by the service line failure, expenses to expedite repairs and living expenses during repairs may also be covered.

What Service Line Coverage Does Not Cover

Some of the service lines that will not be covered include disconnected service lines, portions of pipes or wires that run through or under a body of water or home foundation and other damaging events that are covered by another policy like a fire or explosion.

Make Sure You’re Protected

Service Line coverage is a low cost, high value add-on insurance that may be worth considering in tandem with your home policy. Talk to your Farm Bureau agent today to find out how this coverage may work with your plan.