Would it surprise you to learn that the service lines that bring water, power, data and communications to your home are your responsibility? Homeowners are responsible for the maintenance and repairs of service lines within their property lines.
The cost of repairing these lines can be extensive as can the materials and labour to replace them. This can quickly add up to a large amount of money!
Here’s an example:
Imagine you walk out to your yard one morning only to find five centimetres of water in the low areas of your lawn. It didn’t rain yesterday, so why is your lawn wet? You call a plumber who uses a specialized snake camera to investigate. It turns out that an old pipe has deteriorated and there is now a leak. You’ll need to repair the pipe and prevent more damage from being done. This will include digging up your lawn and driveway, replacing the pipe and redoing your landscaping and concrete. This could cost a lot!
Luckily, your home insurance can help. Service line coverage is designed to cover these unexpected repair costs. The coverage varies based on insurer (and not all insurers offer this protection). Generally, it includes the repair of damaged service lines including:
- Excavation costs
- Repair costs
- Loss of use coverage
- Additional living expense coverage
- Damage to outdoor property and replacing them
Covered service lines vary, but may include water lines, sewer lines, power lines, communication lines, and data lines. There may be exclusions such as irrigation lines.
This protection is an excellent option for homeowners to insure against expensive service line repairs. Talk to your broker today about adding this coverage to your policy.