While it’s not something people think about on a day to day, sewer lines are important in modern living. If something goes wrong and they break or spring a leak, it can disrupt the flow of your life and cost a pretty penny to fix. That then leads to the question, “Will homeowners insurance cover this?” And the answer is, “it depends.”
When is Your Sewer Line Covered
Since a sewer line is considered an ‘other structure’ on your property, it is given the same insurance protection as your home. This means that you are typically covered in the event an outside occurrence happens. This would include severe weather like hail or a windstorm, damage caused by people including riots, vandalism or damage caused by vehicles, or even natural disasters such as a volcanic eruption. Basically, the damage that occurred needs to have been beyond your control. If the sewer line was damaged outside of your property, it is up to the company that owns that sewer line to fix it.
If the damage to the sewer line is covered, then most insurance policies will only cover 10% of what your home is insured for. This means if you are covered for $700,000, then the sewer line and anything else considered an ‘other structure’ will be covered up to $70,000. Of course, each policy is different so check your policy for more details on your coverage limits.
When is Your Sewer Line Not Protected
It’s more common that homeowners insurance will not cover you, because most of the damage to a sewer line usually occurs through preventable means. For example, damage to the pipe because of poor upkeep, faulty construction or a preventable error will not be covered. Likewise, certain events like earthquakes, floods, pests, and roots will also not be covered. For these types of things, you need to purchase separate insurance or an expert who can keep things like termites and trees in check.
Homeowners insurance policies also state that they will not cover any damage caused by sewage backup. Water or raw sewage that destroys any part of your property from a broken sewer line does not qualify for replacement or repair. This is unfortunate because damage from a broken sewer line can be expensive and can leave lasting damage if not taken care of properly.
Some homeowners insurance policies offer an endorsement (extra service) that will cover some of the damage caused by sewage backup. The endorsement is usually less than $100 a year but only gets you about $10,000, which is unfortunate because a massive sewage backup can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Prevention
Since most of the time, a damaged sewer line is caused by poor maintenance and human error it is important to take steps to ensure that a problem does not arise. Do not flush oils or non-biodegradable things like paper towels. Certain types of oil and paper towels can clump up and clog the pipes, which would cause a sewer backup. You also shouldn’t flush metal things as they can scratch the inside of the pipe which will cause problems over time.
If you have the money you can have your metal pipes replaced with plastic. It’ll help prevent roots from getting into the pipe. It may be expensive, but it could help you save money later on by not having an issue in the first place. It’s also important to keep your tree roots in check. They can grow wildly and can burst pipes if not kept in order.
The best thing you can do to keep your pipes in check is to have them inspected by a professional. They can safely see if there is any possible damage and help you fix it right then and there. Replacing your pipes with plastic can cost a bit, but it will save you more money in the long run. Things like corroding pipes or faulty valves are easily detectable and need to be fixed as soon as possible.
Luckily there are things you can do at home to help keep your pipes in check and detect any possible warning signs. Look at the shut-off valves for your toilets, sinks, and anything else that uses water, and see if they turn easily. If they don’t, or you find a leak, it needs to be repaired. The same thing goes for water faucets. Other things like checking how fast you go through hot water, seeing if your toilet flushes on its own or even reviewing your water bill each month can show signs of any possible issues. One last important tool that you have are your ears. Listening to odd noises like kissing or rattling or unnatural sounds from your toilet is another way to catch early warning signs.
