Have you ever considered how old your water and sewer lines are? Are they 10, 20, or 50 years old?
Two of our preferred carriers, Andover & UPC have enacted a service line coverage as an endorsement to their homeowners policies.
Both companies will provide an additional coverage for all covered service lines up to $10,000. The annual premium is relatively inexpensive roughly under $50.
If you are insured with either of these carriers we have taken the liberty to add this coverage to your policy.
Service line coverage is a type of insurance that protects homeowners in the event that pipes or wiring coming into their properties are damaged. It will help to cover the costs of repairing the damaged service lines and pipes you are legally responsible for.
Many homeowners find out all too late that this is not something that is automatically covered in your homeowners insurance policy and something you need to specifically purchase instead.
The reality is that as a homeowner, underground service and utility lines on your property are usually your responsibility–and breaks in a line or accidents during digging can happen. If you need to repair or replace damaged lines or pipes, the cost can be substantial.
Typical homeowners insurance policies don’t provide coverage for damage to underground service lines or pipes. But if you have an Andover or UPC Insurance policy, you can purchase additional protection that covers the cost of these expensive repairs.
Covered service line is defined as exterior underground piping and wiring, including permanent connections, valves or attached devices providing one of following services to your residence premises and includes:
- Communications including cable transmission, data transmission, internet access and telecommunications
- Compressed air
- Drainage
- Electrical wiring
- Heating such as natural gas, propane and steam
- Power lines
- Sewer
- Water
A covered service line must be owned by the homeowner or you must be responsible for the repair or replacement. Coverage does not include part of piping or wiring that runs through or under a body of water such as swimming pool, pond or lake or runs through or under your house or other structure or wiring that is not connected.
What does Service Line Protection Cover?
The more important question to ask, though, is what the coverage involves. The specific things you want your service line coverage to be responsible for include:
- Repair of damage to service lines
- Excavation costs
- Expediting expenses
- Loss of use
- Loss of use or additional living expenses (in the event you are unable to remain in your home until repairs are complete)
- Outdoor property repairs (to repair damage to your property and other property in the process of repairing the damage
What are the Coverage Exclusions?
Most service line protection plans have some very specific exclusions. You need to know what they are before you make any decisions that could cost you big when all is said and done. Common exclusions include:
- Relocation of wiring or pipes
- Septic systems
- Replacement of water wells, motors, or pumps as well as heating and cooling systems, including heat pumps
- Damage from service lines that are being dismantles, serviced or installed
- Wiring, piping, etc. that runs through a building or a body of water
- Damage by fire or an explosion
- Damage by lightning, windstorm or hail, smoke and theft
- Damage by flood and/or overflow of any body of water
Don’t wonder if you are protected from the financial fallout of a service line catastrophe. Contact John Andrade Insurance at 401-253-6542 to see if your specific insurer for your home has this coverage available for purchase.