Standard homeowners insurance policies generally don’t cover damage to sewer lines or any other service lines that run outside or under your home. Home insurance also typically won’t cover damage caused by water or drain backups.
That said, there are a couple of endorsements you may be able to add to your homeowners policy to protect your sewer lines, as well as water damage caused by a sewage backup.
Is a broken sewer line covered by home insurance?
A standard homeowners policy generally doesn’t automatically cover the sewer or utility lines that run under your property and connect your house to the outside world. You can add service line coverage to your policy to protect your sewer lines and other utility lines against different types of damage, like rust or wear and tear.
Home insurance also excludes coverage for damage caused by sewage backups. You can add water backup coverage to your policy to cover water damage to your home caused by a sewage or drain backup.
Does homeowners insurance cover sewer line replacement?
Just like when it comes to sewer line repairs, homeowners insurance doesn’t automatically include coverage for sewer line replacement. You’ll need to add service line coverage to your policy for that.
How to get coverage for damaged or broken sewer lines
Below are the details of the endorsements that you may want to consider adding to your policy to protect the sewer lines on your property.
Service line coverage endorsement
Cost
You can usually get between $10,000 and $20,000 in service line coverage for an extra $30 to $40 a year.
How it works
Service line coverage protects your service lines if they’re damaged, including your sewer lines, steam pipes, cable lines, and fiber optics.
Service line coverage will cover damage to your sewer lines from:
Regular wear and tear
Rust, corrosion, decay, and deterioration
Trees and roots
Vermin, insects, and rodents
The weight of equipment, vehicles, animals and people
Collapse
➞ Learn more about service line coverage
Water backup coverage endorsement
Cost
You can typically get $5,000 in water backup coverage for an extra $30 to $70 a year, while each additional $5,000 in coverage can cost an extra $25 to $35 a year, according to Fabio Faschi, former property and casualty team lead at Policygenius.
How it works
Sewer, water, and drain backup damage is not covered by homeowners insurance. Water backup coverage can be added to your policy for protection against water damage from sewer backup.
For example, say your sewer system backs up into the drains in your home — water backup coverage would pay to repair the water damage and replace any damaged flooring, furniture or other belongings.
➞ Learn more about water backup coverage
What can damage your sewer lines?
Most things that can damage a sewer line aren’t automatically covered by home insurance. Below are a few.
Wear and tear
Rust and decay
Clogged drains
Tree roots
Construction work
Shifting in soil (aka subsidence)
Signs of sewer line damage
A cracked sewer line can lead to significant damage that is only recognizable long after it’s begun. Some warning signs you should look out for that might indicate a damaged sewer line include:
Pools of septic waste
Foul odors
Lawn indentations
Slow drains
Rodent or insect infestations
Foundation cracks
How to prevent sewer line damage
The best way to protect your sewer lines from damage is to maintain them and prevent the kinds of damage that a standard policy won’t insure. To prevent a sewer backup:
Properly dispose of grease and paper products
Snip your tree roots every now and then
Hire a plumber to fix any faulty plumbing connections and unclog your lines
Consider installing a backflow prevention device
Frequently asked questions
How much does sewer line insurance cost?
You can add coverage for your sewer line with a service coverage endorsement. It typically costs an extra $30 to $40 a year for $10,000 to $20,000 in coverage.
Are clogged pipes covered by homeowners insurance?
No, clogged pipes are generally seen as a maintenance issue to insurers, and things like maintenance issues, wear and tear, and general lack of upkeep are all excluded from homeowners insurance coverage.
