What Is Service Line Coverage?
When you purchased your home, you knew it would require regular maintenance and, inevitably, some repairs to both the inside and outside. But what may not have occurred to you is that, as a homeowner, your responsibilities might also include fixing or replacing damaged service lines that are on your property.
Morse, of course, is referring to all those underground pipes, wires, and cables that bring services like water, power, data, and communication into your home. Since they are out of sight, most of the time they are also out of mind—at least until something happens to them that results in a mechanical breakdown, blockages, leaks, serious damages, or total collapse.
What could do this to your service lines? A whole host of things, actually, including but not limited to:
- Rust, corrosion, and decay
- Freezing and thawing of the ground
- Invasive tree roots
- Pesky pests, vermin, and rodents
- Weight of equipment, vehicles, animals, or people
- Improper digging by a landscaper or homeowner
When a line is impacted by any of these things, important services that you and your family rely on every day are likely to be interrupted. Imagine not being able to turn on any lights, use computers or electronics, unclog sinks or flush the toilet, or get fresh water from the faucet. Doesn’t sound like a comfortable or safe way to live for very long, does it? So, you’re obviously going to want to get repairs done quickly.
Of course, that may be easier said than done. Fixing service lines is a challenging job that often requires excavation and city permits, and it can be very costly. In addition, if an underground service line on your property breaks down, there’s typically going to be some collateral damage, including to your landscaping and any driveways, walkways, and other structures on your property. You may even have to move out of your house temporarily if it is not livable due to a critical service being down.
We know you’re probably thinking that your city, town, or utility company should be the one taking care of getting these service lines back up and running again and paying for all the expenses associated with doing so. But if the damaged service line is on your property, it’s typically not their responsibility, and you’re likely going to have to foot the bill to get it fixed.
Are these types of repairs something your homeowners policy might help with? Yes, but only if you’ve thought ahead and worked with a local insurance agency, like Morse, to make sure you’ve added the Service Line Coverage endorsement to your existing home insurance policy.
What does Service Line Coverage include?
This endorsement typically helps you pay for the cost to repair the following types of service lines on your property:
- Electrical Cables
- Fiber Optics
- Water Pipes
- Natural Gas Pipes
- Sewer/Waste Disposal Pipes
- Telephone, Cable, and Internet Lines
- Drainage Pipes
- Septic Lines
- Sprinkler Pipes
- Steam Pipes
While coverage varies by insurance company, this endorsement usually also assists homeowners with related costs, like landscaping services to put their lawn back together after work is completed and repairs to other outdoor property that may have been damaged by the failed service line. Additionally, this endorsement may include coverage to reimburse you for some of the additional living expenses you incur if you have to move out of your home while work is being done.
It’s important to note, however, that some types of service lines are typically excluded from this coverage, like water wells, HVAC systems, fuel tanks, sump pumps, and underground lines that are not being used, that are not connected to anything, or that are submerged in a pond or other body of water. Morse, of course, will assist you in comparing and understanding the different Service Line Coverage options so you can make an informed decision before you buy this endorsement.
Should you get a Service Line Coverage endorsement? Ask Morse, of course!
This endorsement could save you thousands of dollars if a critical service line on your property were to go down. And yet, it generally adds only about $20 to $50 annually to your home insurance premium.
The actual cost of the endorsement will depend on the coverage limit you choose—insurance companies typically offer either $10,000 or $25,000—and a deductible might apply. But given that Service Line Coverage requires such a small investment and provides a potentially huge financial savings if something goes wrong with a service line on your property, purchasing this endorsement usually makes a lot of sense for nearly every homeowner. Morse, of course, will help you take a closer look at your home’s specific level of risk for a service line failure and go over the potential cost of such an event so you can determine the value of having this coverage.
At the same time, it may be highly cost-effective and very smart to look into a Home Systems Protection endorsement as well as other optional home insurance coverages that may fill in any gaps—many of which you might not even realize are there—left by your current homeowners policy.
So, please feel free to call Morse today with your questions about Service Line Coverage or any other endorsement that you might want to consider adding to your current home insurance policy to broaden your financial protection. Our team looks forward to working with you to make sure the homeowners coverage you have today is specifically customized to fit your property, belongings, family, and life.