Many homeowners are unaware that they are responsible for the repair and replacement of service lines on their property. These underground service lines include – Water Piping, Steam Piping, Sewer Piping, Drain Piping, Power Lines, Fiber Optics, Cable Lines & Sprinkler Piping.
Most homeowners do not even realize that they do not have this coverage on their policy. This coverage is important because it covers when one of these lines leaks, breaks, tears, ruptures, collapses or arcs. Should a covered loss occur, coverage is available to pay for the damage to the utility line, excavation costs and expediting expenses to make repairs.
Customers can get up to $10,000 for around $30 a year or some companies offer $20,000 of coverage for around $40 a year.
You might be asking…what kind of losses are covered under this endorsement?
Wear and tear, mechanical breakdown, rust or other corrosion, tree or other root invasion, vermin, insects, rodents or other animals, freezing or frost heave and thaw, and weight of equipment, vehicles, animals or people.
Also, if you have a septic system, the piping that runs from the dwelling to the septic tank is covered, but the septic system itself is not.
Some things that are not covered under this coverage:
Wells, heating systems – except for piping & fuel tanks.
Expenses to fix any type of buried utility line can cost up to $20,000 in some cases. So, for it being only $30-$40 extra a year on your homeowners insurance…it definitely is worth it.
