Does Home Insurance Cover Sewer Line Repair
Does Home Insurance Cover Sewer Line Repair
“I finally cleaned out my garage this weekend and found a mysterious old wrench. It got me thinking about pipes and repairs. Do you know if your home insurance would cover sewer line repairs? Let’s find out!”
A sewer line endorsement (also known as buried utility lines coverage) may cover damage not only to your underground pipes, but also to other underground wires surrounding your home. Even a minor break in a sewage line can run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars to fix and could require the excavation of a lot of dirt. Your yard might have to be dug up and then backfilled once the repairs are made. Sewer line coverage might include locating and repairing a line (including damaged seals), along with clearing the line, excavation, fusing, welding and cutting costs.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Your Sewer Line If It's Damaged?
If damage to your sewer line is caused by perils such as hail or windstorms, explosions, lightning or fire, damages caused by vehicles, vandalism or falling objects your plumber’s policy may cover repairs. As long as the sewer line is on your property, it might be covered under your homeowners policy’s other structures coverage; this limit is usually 10 percent of your home’s insured value but can vary by insurer.
But in most cases the sewer line damage results from something not covered by standard homeowners insurance. For instance, if the pipe damage is caused by faulty construction or bad maintenance, repairs typically won’t be covered. Flood, pest, quake or tree root damage is usually also excluded.
Are Tree Roots In A Sewer Line Covered By Insurance?
Not usually. Although insurance may help pay for damage to your property resulting from tree roots, it rarely pays for sewer line-related costs directly. So if water that gets released from the cracked line damages your property, your insurance might pay to repair damage caused by the water but not to repair the pipe.
Can I Get Sewer Back-Up Coverage?
Sewage backup endorsements (sometimes called water back-up and sump discharge or overflow endorsements) are offered by many homeowners insurance companies but this type of endorsement covers only damage caused by sewer backups — not physical damage to the sewer lines. A sewage backup endorsement might cover replacing your floor and possessions that are damaged from the sewer back-up. See how home insurance helps with different kinds of water damage (and water back-up and sewage overflow).
When Does Home Insurance Not Cover Sewer Line Replacement?
Water is a common source of major home damage. For many people, a standard homeowners policy may not provide the coverage you require to keep your home fully protected. For instance, do insurance policies cover tree roots in the sewer line?
Or let’s say your sewer backs up after a storm because the sump pump wasn’t working after a power loss. You might not be able to file a claim to cover damage unless you have added sump pump failure and water backup coverage. If you are in an area that receives a large amount of rainfall each year, or if you have an older sump pump in your home, then you may want to consider this add-on coverage. Just know that damage due to wear and tear on sump pumps will be excluded. So does homeowners insurance cover sewer line repair? Unless the problem could be considered a covered loss, you likely can’t submit a claim in most cases.
What Can Damage Your Sewer Line?
Several different conditions can lead to sewer line damage. Not only can sewer water come back up into your home and damage your dwelling and personal property, but the physical sewer line itself can break. The following are some events that can lead to sewer line damage:
Freezing Temperatures
A sudden drop in temperature may freeze the pipes in a home and sewer lines. Water freezes when the temperature drops and then expands, while cold pipes contract, causing damage anywhere from small leaks to pipe bursts.
Tree Roots
Roots from a tree on or near your property may grow into your sewer line and can crack the sewer pipe. This is especially true in older homes that have antique ceramic sewer lines.
Causes Of Sewer Line Damage And Sewage Water Back-Up Flooding
Flooding is a common cause of sewer line damage. The movement of soil, sediment, and debris from rising water can break pipes. The pressure and overflow of flood waters can also push untreated sewage water back up through the pipes and into your house.
Clogged Drains
Clogged drains don’t just cause drainage problems, they can also erode the pipe, the longer left unrepaired. And when the pressure from the clogs rises too high, the pipe can rupture.
Earthquakes
This seismic activity can also cause the ground to shift, damaging your sewer line as a result.
Optional Coverage For Sewer Lines
Fortunately, several of the top home insurance companies offer a remedy to this issue in the form of an endorsement. When sewer lines fail there can be damage from sewer water backing up into the home and damage to the physical sewer pipe. Some insurers may offer limited water back up coverage, but the cost to repair the sewer line itself typically is not covered. Consult your agent to find out how your insurance company deals with such losses. Here are some of the things you might consider if you feel a loss, missen of several things:
Service Line Endorsement
Also known as sewer line replacement, this can help you pay to get your sewer lines repaired if they’re damaged as a result of corrosion, wear and tear, pest damage, tree root damage, freezing temperatures and other losses. It might have a separate deductible, and coverage typically goes from $10,000 to $12,000.
Sewer Backup Endorsement
This is similar, yet not quite the same as, a service line endorsement: A service line endorsement covers the damage to the sewer line, whereas a sewer backup endorsement mainly covers the damage a ruptured sewer line does to your house and personal property. It also can cover damage to the sewer line, but fewer perils.
Home Warranty
A home warranty could potentially include coverage for the sewer line and is not the same as homeowners insurance. It is a separate plan that may pay for specific appliance repairs and electrical systems expenses.
Conclusion
FAQ
No, sewer line coverage is not required by law. If you have a mortgage on your home, your lender may require that you have certain endorsements or levels of coverage on your home insurance policy. Sewer line problems can affect neighboring houses, not only yours. Ask your neighbors or former owner if they’ve ever had sewer line issues.
Service line endorsements usually cover damage to your sewer lines, but not damage to your home’s interior as a result of sewer backups. You might want to get a sewer backup endorsement. If you have both endorsements on the policy, you should have coverage for the sewer line, as well as the damage a broken sewer line can cause.
Sewer line responsibility differs from state to state and even from county to county. Overall, the city should take care of the main sewer lines, while the sewer lines on the property are the homeowner’s responsibility. If you’re unsure of where your property ends, you may want to contact your local municipality and refer to your land survey — usually included in the homeownership documentation.
