Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Sewer Line Repair?

The answer to this varies and becomes a bit complicated. If the sewer line is on your property and damaged through no fault of your own, then it’s likely that homeowner’s insurance will be able to help you out. On the other hand, any damage caused by preventable means (e.g the slow degradation of the line due to lack of proper upkeep on the homeowner’s part) will exempt you from coverage. 

So, you may be wondering what kind of damage would be considered ‘out of the homeowner’s control’ and therefore covered. To make this easier, I’ll go over a few of the possible situations that may be listed. 

Natural disasters:  Volcanic eruptions, lighting, storms or even fire, any natural disaster outside of the homeowner’s control should be covered by the insurance plan but, they may go a set further and put limitations on your area if its are prone for natural disasters. 

Unnatural disaster: Falling objects, explosions, issues with aircrafts or vehicles, any damage that is caused by unforeseeable accidents should still be covered even if they are not due to nature. 

Damage caused by civil unrest: Vandalism, as well as damage due to rioting should also be covered. Or course, do keep in mind this does not include any damage done by homeowners. 

To sum things up, if you keep up with routine maintenance and keep up with your end of the deal, then any sudden unavoidable damage done to your sewer lines should be covered by insurance. 

Is it worth getting water and sewer line insurance?

This is usually dependent on your individual situation. If you have an older home, it is usually a good idea to consider getting insurance. This is due to the fact that not only are the lines in your home older, but they may also be made up of subpar materials used during the time period the home was first built. 

With all of this in mind, if you live in a home that is over 100 years old, it is most likely worth it to invest in water and sewer insurance in the event any of these issues arrive. 

Who is responsible for repairing the sewer line?

While it may vary depending on the area you live in, it is now common for local water companies to oversee and maintain your sewer line. This is of course not the only possibility. Should the sewer line be private or unadopted it may fall on the homeowner to cover the fees for reparation. Or in the case of the line being used by multiple properties, all homeowners will be required to pitch in towards the repair. 

In the event you have worked on an unadopted sewer line and ensured it is in a good condition, it’s possible to put in a request for your local water company to adopt the line. Should this go through it would help with future issues as the company would then take over all maintenance.

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