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Service Line Insurance: Protect Your Home’s Utility Lines
As a homeowner, you understand the importance of protecting your property from the unexpected. From storms to everyday wear and tear, there are many ways your home’s utility lines can sustain damage. If you live in New Hampshire, you know that the cold winters can wreak havoc on your pipes, and the trees in your yard can cause significant harm to your power and cable lines. That’s why service line coverage, also known as utility line insurance or buried utility lines coverage, is such a valuable endorsement to consider.
What Does Service Line Insurance Cover?
Service line coverage helps pay for the repair or replacement of damaged utility lines that run to your home, including water pipes, power lines, gas and fuel lines, underground power lines, and service lines for cable, internet, and fiber optics. This insurance can also cover associated costs like excavation and landscaping.
Your policy coverage will kick in to pay for any damages caused by long-term use like corrosion, rust, and other everyday wear and tear, damage caused by trees and tree roots, animals, severe weather, and mechanical malfunctions. It’s important to remember that not every incident or item is covered, like septic systems or wires running through or under a body of water. Our trusted insurance advisors at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance can help you determine your home’s risks and build the right coverage for you.
Service Line Coverage Examples
Let’s take a look at a couple of scenarios where service line coverage could protect you from costly out-of-pocket repairs:
Water Main Break: During a harsh winter storm, your pipes freeze, and as things warm up, you notice a break in the water line leading to your New Hampshire home. While your city has crews responsible for repairing any public water lines, it’s up to you to repair the lines that lead directly to your home. That means paying a plumber to excavate your yard and repair or replace the line. According to Home Advisor, the average cost of a main water line repair can range from $300 to $1500, depending on the extent of the damage. Add in landscaping fees to restore your lawn to its previous condition, and you’re looking at a lofty bill. Fortunately, your service line coverage would kick in, helping save you money on much-needed repairs.
Damage to Underground Wires: Say you’re digging in your yard to plant a tree, but you forgot to call 811 and have your utility lines marked first. While digging, you hit a buried electrical line, causing a power outage to your New Hampshire home. According to Angi, these repairs must be done by your utility company and cost an average of $1500 to $5000, even before factoring in any landscaping restoration. Without utility line insurance coverage, you’d be on the hook to cover the full amount to ensure the repairs were done safely and property, and power was restored to your home.
Is Service Line Coverage Included in Homeowners Insurance?
Unfortunately, underground service line coverage is not included in a standard homeowners insurance policy. However, it’s an easy endorsement to add. Just reach out to one of our agents at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance about your home’s risk, and we’ll guide you on adding the right coverage with the best limits to ensure you’re fully protected. Keep in mind that because it’s an addition to your homeowners policy, it will increase your premium, and your coverage will likely be subject to a deductible. If your homeowners insurance company doesn’t offer a utility line insurance endorsement, you may be able to add coverage through your utility service provider.
Do I Need Service Line Insurance?
Service line insurance is great coverage for any homeowner to have — after all, you never know when severe weather or even everyday wear and tear could lead to serious and costly damage to your property.
Policy Genius estimates that adding underground service line coverage to a homeowners insurance policy costs around $30 to $40 per year on average, though it varies by state. That’s a small price to pay to protect yourself and your home from unexpected service disruptions and thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.
Talk to us today at Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance to learn more the about homeowners insurance coverage available to you. You can reach us at 603-431-4020 or by email at insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com.