As a property owner, having all the utilities that define your lifestyle and make your home functional feels comfortable. Now, imagine you are seated behind your TV screen watching your favorite team play, but when they are about to score a winning goal, the screen goes black, the internet line breaks, and the streaming service experiences a glitch.
We know how it feels when your good times with your family and friends are unexpectedly interrupted due to utility line problems. The lights go off, the water pipes dry, and the internet connection gets lost. The fun moments turn embarrassing and awkward!
Although service lines like water, sewer, internet, and electric are out of sight, they should never get out of your mind. While standard homeowners insurance policies may cover part of the water damages by household systems, they don't cover anything with the service lines running underneath. That means in the event your service lines are damaged; your policy service provider will sit back and watch you pay the bills for the repairs.
You can avoid all those inconveniences and unnecessary costs by adding service line coverage to secure every part of your utility lines underneath.
What Exactly is Service Line Coverage?
Service line coverage is a homeowners' insurance add-on that covers unexpected damages related to a property's service lines, such as phone and cable lines, power lines, sewer, water lines, and other underground lines. The service covers your potentially expensive excavation processes of repairing piping and wiring lines underneath your house.
Unlike utility companies that only protect the specific line you are paying, service line coverage covers all underground utility lines leading to your home. In case of damage, they cover the costs of replacing or repairing the lines and the associated aesthetic and landscaping costs post-repair.
How Does Service Line Coverage Work?
Service line coverage is a rider available to many standard homeowners policies that ensure your utility lines are not left out uncovered. It reimburses you in case of damage to any of the following lines:
- Natural gas pipes
- Drainage pipes
- Water pipes
- Electrical cables
- Telephone and cable lines
- Waste disposal/sewer lines
- Steam pipes
- Electric cables
This coverage may also pay for post-repair damages like landscaping after excavation or loss of use if the required repairs force you to move temporarily out of your home. It goes beyond the services provided by the utility providers who cover their line only.
What Does Service Line Coverage Protect You From?
Underground piping and wiring are vulnerable to various damages from unseen sources. Some of the potential damages service line coverage can protect you from include:
- Wear and Tear
- Freezing
- Weight of vehicles, people, animals, or equipment
- Corrosion, rust, decay, and deterioration
- Collapse
- Damage caused by roots
- Rodents, insects, or vermin damage
- Electrical breakdown
- Mechanical breakdown
The damages to the lines may also be caused by homeowners or professional landscapers on their line of routine services. For example, the Common Ground Alliance (GGA) estimates that more than 439,000 underground utility lines were damaged in 2017, including natural gas, cable TV, and electric lines. The utility providers distanced themselves from the huge repair and replacement costs. The estimated costs of some lines were:
- Natural gas line-$5,914
- Cable TV line-$2,191
- An electric line-$4,906
These average estimates did not account for the post-repair costs of landscaping and aesthetic damages, city permits, loss of use during repair, and other related costs.
What Service Line Coverage Excludes
Service line coverage is an endorsement of your policy and covers many types of damages, as discussed above. However, there are a few damages it doesn't cover. Some of these exclusions include:
- Water wells
- Heating and cooling systems
- Septic systems
- Wiring and piping lines not in use
- Wiring and piping submerged in water bodies
- Fuel tanks
- Overhead cables from electric or telephone poles
Protect Your Home with Reliable Service Line Coverage in Arizona
Most homeowners take utility lines for granted. But what if the line damages occur unexpectedly, as most do? Will your home maintain comfort and represent your professionalism without lights, water, and other essential utilities for days or months? Absolutely not! The Utility providers usually distance themselves from such repairs and rest the responsibilities solely on you.
The good news is that the Service Line Group, LLC has got you covered. We have a team of professionals to ensure your utility lines remain functional year-round. Contact us today to explore our comprehensive suite of services.
Image Credit / Shutterstock / J.J. Gouin