What is service line coverage?

Utility and service lines that run underneath your property typically aren’t covered by standard homeowners insurance. You can add service line coverage to your policy for an additional fee to get this type of protection.

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Pat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.&Kara McGinleySenior Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertKara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

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Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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

That means if one of your home’s service lines are damaged — be it cable lines or water piping or power lines — you’d be stuck footing the bill yourself for repairs if you only have 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’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 $30 annually for $10,000 in coverage.

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What is service line coverage?

As the homeowner, you’re on the hook financially for subterranean lines or pipes running through your property. That means if your water pipes crack or your power line is severed, it’s your responsibility to fix it. Standard homeowners insurance typically won’t cover broken utility lines — but you can add a service line coverage endorsement to your policy for this type of protection.

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

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What does service line coverage cover?

Here are some examples of damage that’s typically covered by service line coverage:

  • Wear and tear

  • Rust, corrosion, decay, and deterioration

  • Mechanical breakdown

  • Electrical breakdown

  • Tree or root-caused damage

  • Vermin, insects, or rodent damage

  • Freezing

  • Weight of equipment, vehicles, animals or people

  • Collapse

Keep in mind that service line coverage endorsement isn’t the same across the board and will 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:

  • Water pipes

  • Steam pipes

  • Sewer pipes

  • Drain pipes

  • Power lines

  • Fiber optics

  • Cable lines

  • Internet lines

  • Natural gas pipes

  • Sprinkler pipes

What doesn’t service line coverage cover?

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 attach it to your home is usually automatically covered by a standard homeowners policy)

  • Wiring or piping that runs through a body of water

How much does service line coverage cost?

Service line coverage typically costs around $30 to $40 per year — only $2.50 to $3.33 per month — for between $10,000 to $20,000 in coverage on top of your homeowners policy. Service lines can cost anywhere from $1,000 to over $4,000 to repair or replace, so you may want to consider this endorsement if you're worried about paying out of pocket for the entire repair bill yourself. [1]

The exact cost of service line coverage depends on the specific insurance company, so be sure to check with your insurance company to see if they offer service line coverage, or reach out to an insurance expert at Policygenius who can help you reshop and find a company that offers this invaluable coverage endorsement.

Is service line coverage required?

No, you’re not required to add service line coverage to your homeowners policy. But doing so may save you from having to foot the bill if a service or utility line is damaged on your property.

What insurance companies offer service line coverage?

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

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References

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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.

  1. HomeAdvisor

    . "

    How Much Does It Cost To Replace Or Repair A Sewer Line?

    ." Accessed July 29, 2022.

Authors

Pat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

Kara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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