Replacing your sewer line is no walk in the park. When handling the expenses and completing insurance claims, it can be costly if you don’t have the right coverages in place. Are you a homeowner? Do you know if your homeowner’s insurance covers sewer and drain backup? Below, we discuss what sewer and drain coverage includes and explore two sewage backup scenarios.
What Does Sewer and Drain Coverage Include?
If the main sewer line off your property backs up and causes flooding into your house, sewer and drain coverage applies to damage to the property in your house. However, coverage only applies if the sewer line backs up off your property line. This means that the main sewer line in the street, or the city and the sewer line malfunction.
New Utility Line Coverage
A new coverage that most companies have come out with is a utility line coverage. What this does is provide coverage for all your buried utility lines, one of them being the most expensive (i.e. your sewer line). This would provide coverage from your house to the property line if that line needed to be replaced, which is difference from the past.
In the past, if there was something in your sewer line that caused damage to it such as tree roots, the insurance company would pay for the resulting damage from the backup into the house, but they wouldn’t pay to replace the sewer line.
So now, with the sewer line coverage, you would be paid, or you would have coverage for the replacement of that sewer line. Common coverage limits can run from $10,000 to $20,000 or even higher. Furthermore, the cost of this coverage amounts to only $30-$70 a year, a low price for great coverage.
Sewer and Drain Coverage Scenarios
Sometimes, real-life examples help solidify the difference between coverages. Below are two scenarios based on your sewer and drain coverage.
Scenario #1. The Main Sewer Line Backs Up into Your House
In this scenario, the sewer line from your street backs up in your house. Unfortunately, it causes damage, and your homeowner’s policy does not include the sewer and drain backup coverage. As a result, you would have no coverage for your personal property and would have to cover the cost out-of-pocket.
Scenario #2: Tree Roots are in Your Sewer Line and On Your Property
In this scenario, tree roots from your property end up breaking through your sewer line. As a result, it causes the sewer to back up in your house. However, your homeowner’s insurance policy includes the buried line utility coverage. As a result, you would have coverage to replace that sewer line since it is damaged.
Ultimately, look at your policy or reach out to your current insurance provider to see if you have these coverages or if they are available to add as an endorsement.
Secure Your Homeowners Sewer and Drain Coverage Today with Centennial
Are you looking to expand the coverage for your home’s sewer and drain? Our insurance experts at Centennial State Insurance Agency are ready to help! We will review your current policy to make sure you have the right coverages and endorsements in place. Additionally, our agents will provide you with all the protection you need for your home.
Contact us to compare quotes and properly insure your home, property, and auto today!