What Is Service Line Coverage?
Service line coverage, also known as buried utility lines coverage, is an endorsement that can be added to your homeowners insurance policy to help cover the cost of repairing or replacing a broken service line that runs to your home. You can think of it as sewer line, water line, and natural gas line insurance all in one convenient coverage.
Many homeowners don’t know that they’re on the hook financially to repair or replace damaged underground service lines to their home. And it can prove a costly surprise — often upwards of $7,000. That’s because repairing service lines isn’t a simple fix. It often requires significant digging that can wreak havoc on landscaping, driveways, and walkways. In addition, you may need to temporarily relocate while repairs are being done.
Service line coverage offers the protection you need and fills a gap in standard homeowners insurance policies that don’t typically cover service lines.
What Is a Service Line?
Homeowners today rely on more underground utility lines than ever before. If any of these lines become damaged, it’s likely that you are responsible for their repair. Buried utility line coverage may cover the following:
Water
Waste
Heating
Electric
Communications
What Is Covered Under Service Line Coverage?
As the name implies, buried utility lines coverage may help pay for damage to underground pipes and wiring that are connected to your home and ready for use. It can also help cover the related excavation work and any landscaping that is damaged during the repair or replacement process. Our service line coverage provides protection against a leak, break, tear, rupture, collapse or arcing of a covered service line caused by:
- Collapse*
- Electrical and mechanical or pressure systems breakdown
- Freeze
- Rust or other corrosion, decay, deterioration, hidden, or latent defect
- Wear and tear
What Kind of Damage Is Not Covered by Service Line Coverage?
There are several causes of damage not covered by our service line endorsement, including fire, flood, lightning, riot or civil commotion, vandalism, and sinkhole or subsidence collapse. Talk to your Westfield agent for a full list of exclusions.
How Does Service Line Coverage Work?
Service line damage happens more often than you think. And when it does, the costs add up quickly. Let’s look at some examples** of how this insurance coverage can help if you experience damage to your sewer, water, or other utility lines.
- A frost heave splits two sections of a sewer line running under a policyholder’s driveway. Westfield could help pay to repair or replacement of the sewer line and the damaged driveway.
- A bitter cold snap causes a main water line connecting into a policyholder’s home to burst. A repair crew charging higher weekend rates made the fix. Westfield could help pay for the repairs.
- A policyholder wakes up to the unpleasant surprise of toilets not flushing in their home. Turns out an aging clay sewer line has crumbled. Landscaping was also damaged while workers replaced the line. Westfield could help pay to replace the sewer line and the landscaping.
- A buried power line on a policyholder’s premises was electrically damaged, making the home temporarily inhabitable. Westfield could help pay for replacement of the power line and the hotel stay needed during the repair.
Highlights of Westfield’s Service Line Coverage
Our service line endorsement is available in all states where we offer homeowners insurance. Here are some of the benefits provided by our coverage. †
- Costs to reach damaged underground piping and wiring.
- Repair or replacement of damaged exterior underground piping and wiring.
- Coverage for your outdoor property, such as landscaping, driveways, and walkways.
- Additional costs to expedite materials and services for repairs.
- Living expenses, such as hotels and meals, if you need to temporarily relocate.
- Cost of generators and other temporary equipment that allows you to remain at home during repairs.
- Environmental safety and efficiency condition allowing for 150% upgrade when replacement is required.
Explore Other Add-On Coverage Options
Equipment Breakdown Coverage
Identity Theft Coverage
Cyber Security
Umbrella Insurance
Inland Flood Insurance
Frequently Asked Questions
*Does not include sinkhole or subsidence collapse.
**These examples are for illustration purposes only.
† Coverages are subject to policy limits and/or exclusions. These examples are for illustration purposes only. The actual policy or endorsement language should be referenced to determine coverage applicability and availability.