What Are Service Lines to My Home, and Am I Responsible for Them?

By Adam Bakonis and the Mercury Team

As a homeowner, you’re probably focused on maintaining your lawn, repairing loose cabinets in your kitchen, servicing your HVAC seasonally, and replacing any boards on your deck. But what about those hidden, yet essential components that lie underneath your home? “Utilities, sewer, and other cables are easy to overlook, but they’re critical for your daily life,” notes Adam Bakonis, Director, Product Management. “And it’s probably something you don’t ever think about until something goes wrong. Service line issues potentially can cost you tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.”

Here’s what you need to know about service line coverage and the types of utility lines and repairs you’re responsible for should something go wrong.

What Is a Service Line?

Service lines are a network of exterior, often underground utility lines or pipes that supply your home with electricity, gas, water, and sewer functions. These lines run from your house to a public utility connection or a private system, like a well or septic tank.

What Types of Utility Lines Are Considered Service Lines?

The main types of service lines bring water, electricity, gas, and fuel, as well as internet or phone service, to your home. Water service lines include incoming water pipes and outgoing drain and sewer pipes, and may include sprinkler lines and steam pipes. Electrical utilities may be buried underground, along with fuel lines and natural gas pipes. You likely get your phone and internet services via cable, internet, or fiber optic lines that run to your home.

Who Is Responsible for Service Lines on Your Property?

You might assume that if there’s a sewer pipe break in the middle of your yard, the city is responsible for fixing it. That’s not always the case. Responsibility for servicing service lines typically depends on where the damage occurs along the line. Homeowners are usually responsible for the portion that runs from the house to the property line, while the utility company maintains the section beyond that point that connects to the city’s sewer system. Since responsibilities can vary by location and by utility type, you’ll want to check with your local providers for specific guidelines.

How Much Can Service Line Repairs Cost?

Service line repairs can get pricey pretty quickly, largely because the lines are often buried underground, which typically requires specialized equipment to excavate pipes and may involve digging up your yard, driveway, or other hard-to-access areas where the damaged lines are located. Plus, you may be looking at the cost of replacing specific sections of pipe or wiring and restoring the area afterward. The average cost to repair a water line, according to Forbes data, is $950, but that largely depends on the scope of the work, and your bill can quickly go much higher. The average cost to connect a sewer line to the city’s utilities is $3,000, but complicated cases can cost as much as $55,000.

Having a plan to maintain your service lines to reduce the risks of failure will cost you much less in the long run.

What Is Service Line Coverage?

Many insurance companies offer optional service line coverage. This add-on to your homeowners insurance policy can help you pay for unforeseen service line failures, such as tree roots breaking a line. Just make sure you know exactly which repairs and replacements qualify under that utility line coverage and which are excluded.

What Does Service Line Coverage Cover?

Service line protection usually covers leaks, breaks, ruptures, and collapses of exterior and underground service lines that you as the homeowner are responsible for. That includes:

• Water piping that connects from the house or other structure on the property to a public water supply or private well
• Sewer piping that connects from the house or other structure to a public sewer or private septic system
• Piping used for heating, including geothermal, natural gas, propane, and steam
• Piping that provides compressed air
• Power lines that provide electrical service to the dwelling or other structure
• Wiring used for communications, including cable, internet, and telecommunications

Exclusions do apply, however. Utility line coverage typically does not extend to:

• Above-ground piping or wiring
• Any section of piping or wiring that runs under or through the home or other structure
• Fuel tanks
• Septic tanks and pipes attached to your home
• Wiring or piping that runs through a body of water
• Underground wiring or piping that isn’t connected and ready to use
• Water wells
• Pipes or wiring beyond the connection to the main service or utility line
• Certain causes of loss that may be excluded in the coverage form

Service Line Coverage vs. a Service Line Warranty

Service line coverage and service line warranties both help protect against the cost of repairing damaged utility lines, but they operate differently.

• Service line coverage is typically an optional endorsement added to a homeowners insurance policy, meaning claims are subject to coverage limits, deductibles, and policy terms.
• A service line warranty or protection plan is a separate agreement that covers specific repairs or replacements, often with its own fees, exclusions, and service conditions.

Claims and repairs are handled differently based on whether you have service line insurance coverage or a warranty. With insurance coverage, you may choose your own contractor and file a claim for reimbursement or direct payment, while warranty plans often require you to use approved service providers and coordinate repairs through the plan administrator.

Is Service Line Coverage Worth It?

Service line coverage can be worth considering if you want added financial protection against unexpected and often expensive repairs to underground utility lines. Factors like the age of your home, the condition of your plumbing or sewer lines, soil conditions, and the types of trees on your property can all increase the risk of damage. You’ll also want to weigh the potential cost of repairs against your ability to comfortably pay out of pocket if something goes wrong.

Ultimately, it comes down to how much risk you’re willing to carry and how prepared you are if that risk turns into a real, costly problem. Mercury offers homeowners insurance plans to protect your home, property, and underground lines.

Get started with a fast, free quote today.

FAQs

Does service line coverage include sewer lines?

Many service line coverage endorsements do include sewer laterals, which are the pipes that connect your home to the public sewer system. Sewer insurance coverage can vary by policy, though, which is why it’s important to review your terms to confirm what’s included and any limits or exclusions that may apply.

Does service line coverage pay for damage to your yard or driveway?

Some utility line policies help pay not only for the repair of the line itself but also for excavation and restoration of areas like your yard or driveway. Coverage limits and conditions vary, though, so check your policy to understand how much restoration is included and what costs you may still need to cover.

How do you know if an underground service line is damaged?

Common signs of a damaged service line can include unexplained spikes in your water bill, slow drains, sewage odors, or wet spots in your yard. You may also notice reduced water pressure, frequent backups, or visible cracks in pavement where lines run beneath the surface. For a natural gas line, a strong rotten egg smell, a hissing sound, or bubbling in standing water can be indicators of a failure. Due to the danger of a natural gas leak, contact the utility or emergency services immediately if a leak is suspected. For connectivity lines, you may notice issues or outages with your Wi-Fi that your neighbors do not experience.