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Service Line Coverage

Protecting homeowners from costly exposures

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    Most homeowners are not aware that they own and are responsible for the repair or replacement of service lines on their property, and homeowners insurance policies exclude the most common causes of a service line failure.

    A home yard excavation to repair a service line
    © Getty Images

    HSB ’s Service Line coverage pays to repair or replace homeowner-owned, exterior underground water and sewer piping, electrical service lines and data lines that fail or are accidentally broken.

    Service line failure is not covered by most homeowner insurance policies.

    The program fills a coverage gap for homeowners, who often don’t realize that they own the outdoor service lines from their dwelling to their property’s boundary lines, as well as behind their house to a well, septic tank, or an out-building.

    Homeowners are also responsible for the maintenance of service lines and repairs when the lines fail, and they must pay for outdoor property such as trees, shrubs and driveways damaged as a result.

    A service line failure is physical damage that results in a leak, break, tear, rupture or collapse of a pipe or line. Physical damage can be caused by external events such as accidental breakage or environmental conditions such as root invasion, deterioration, freezing and electrical arcing.

    Service Line Coverage

    Water piping that connects from the dwelling to a public water supply, private well, retention pond or cistern
    Drain piping that drains water away from the dwelling or other structure
    Water or steam piping connecting an outside heating system to the dwelling
    An electrical power line that provides electrical service to the dwelling or other structure
    Communications or data transmission wiring, including telephone, cable, Internet and fiber optic wiring.
    Ground loop piping that connects to a heat pump.

    HSB's Service Line coverage will pay up to $10,000 for each service line failure incident. The coverage can also pay for hotels, meals, rent, or other living expenses when a family must leave its residence because of a covered loss, or for generators and other temporary equipment needed to enable a family to remain at home. In addition, it covers damage to outside property, including trees, shrubs, sidewalks, decks and landscaping when caused by a service line failure.

    Service Line coverage is available only through insurance companies that partner with HSB. We make it easy and affordable to add Service Line coverage to the homeowner policies of our client insurers, and we provide claim services, form design, underwriter and broker training, and marketing support services.

    The coverage may be provided as an enhancement to insurers' homeowners policies, or packaged in an extended coverage endorsement to such policies.