Does Homeowners Insurance Cover The Replacement Of Underground Electrical Service Lines

While homeowners insurance provides some amount of coverage for water damage acquired past household plumbing and systems, it typically does not embrace damage to service lines running underneath your property.

That means if ane of your home's service lines are damaged — be it cable lines or water piping or power lines — you'd be stuck basis the bill yourself for repairs if you only accept a standard homeowners insurance policy.

Luckily, some insurance companies offer a service line coverage add-on, or endorsement , that you can add onto your homeowners policy for a small additional cost to protect different utility lines that connect to your home.

Key Takeaways

As the homeowner, you lot're financially responsible for any utility lines that run through your property.
Service line coverage is a homeowners insurance endorsement that reimburses you in the event that a utility line is damaged.
Service line coverage is one of the best value coverage endorsements, costing as little as $thirty annually for $10,000 in coverage.

What is service line coverage?

As the homeowner, you're on the claw financially for subterranean lines or pipes running through your property. That means if your water pipes crack or your power line is severed, it'south your responsibleness to fix information technology. Standard homeowners insurance typically won't comprehend broken utility lines — merely you can add a service line coverage endorsement to your policy for this type of protection.

Service line coverage will generally embrace the costs of repairing or replacing utility lines, every bit well as the excavation and landscape restoration after necessary repairs are complete. When you file a merits, yous may have to pay a deductible, just it'll depend on the insurance company — Travelers, for example, doesn't require a deductible for a service line claim.

What does service line coverage encompass?

Here are some examples of harm that'due south typically covered by service line coverage:

Wear and tear
Rust, corrosion, decay, and deterioration
Mechanical breakdown
Electrical breakdown
Tree or root-caused harm
Vermin, insects, or rodent damage
Freezing
Weight of equipment, vehicles, animals or people
Plummet

Go on in mind that service line coverage endorsement isn't the same beyond the board and volition vary by your state and insurance company.

What types of service lines are covered?

Some service or utility lines typically covered by service line coverage include:

H2o pipes
Steam pipes
Sewer pipes
Drain pipes
Power lines
Fiber eyes
Cable lines
Internet lines
Natural gas pipes
Sprinkler pipes

What doesn't service line coverage comprehend?

Here are some examples of what isn't covered by service line coverage:

Water well related damage
Fuel tanks
Piping or wiring that isn't connected and ready for use
Septic systems (a septic tank and the pipes that adhere it to your home is usually automatically covered by a standard homeowners policy)
Wiring or pipe that runs through a body of water

How much does service line coverage toll?

Service line coverage typically costs around $30 to $40 per year — simply $two.fifty to $three.33 per month — for betwixt $10,000 to $20,000 in coverage on meridian of your homeowners policy. Considering that service line ruptures can price around $2,500 on average, this endorsement is commonly worth it.

The exact price depends on the specific insurance visitor, then be sure to check with your insurance company to run across if they offering service line coverage, or achieve out to an insurance expert at Policygenius who can help you reshop and observe a visitor that offers this invaluable coverage endorsement.

Frequently asked questions

Is service line coverage required?

No, y'all're not required to add together service line coverage to your homeowners policy. But doing so may salvage you lot from having to human foot the bill if a service or utility line is damaged on your belongings.

What insurance companies offer service line coverage?

Some insurance companies that offer service line coverage include: Travelers, Erie, and Mercury.

Pat Howard is a senior editor and licensed home insurance agent at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Erstwhile House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.

Editor & Licensed Home Insurance Expert

Kara McGinley is an editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she writes about homeowners and renters insurance. Equally a journalist and as an insurance skillful, her work and insights have been featured in Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.