Standard Progressive homeowners insurance does not typically cover repairs to broken or damaged sewer lines, but you can add service line coverage as an endorsement to pay for excavation and repairs. While standard policies generally exclude sewer pipe damage, they may cover damage to your home caused by a resulting sewage backup if you have proper endorsements.
Service line coverage may cover the following utility lines: Water: Incoming water pipes, internal water pipes, sewer lines, drains, sprinkler pipes, and steam pipes.
Does homeowners insurance cover your sewer line if it's damaged? Damage to your sewer line may be covered by your policy if it is caused by perils such as hail or windstorms, explosions, lightning or fire, damages caused by vehicles, vandalism or falling objects.
Avoid making guesses or unsupported statements about what caused the damage to your property. Speculating can lead to inaccuracies in the adjuster's report, potentially affecting your claim.
If the source of the damage comes from inside your home, such as a water leak from plumbing, a broken pipe or overflowing appliance, you'll likely be covered by your homeowners insurance, if the damage was sudden and accidental.
The insurance company that denies the most claims depends heavily on the type of insurance you are referring to:
How to Intimidate the Insurance Adjuster
Common Sewer Line Problems
Homeowners insurance typically covers losses resulting from a sudden malfunction, such as a pipe bursting unexpectedly. However, a homeowners policy won't cover slow, constant leaks or other plumbing problems resulting from neglect or improper maintenance.
Homeowners. If you own your home, you're responsible for all the pipes within the property boundary which join up with the stopcock for the mains pipe. If you have a leak in your pipes, you have to fix it.
Warning signs of sewer line damage include slow or frequently backed-up drains, gurgling noises in toilets, and the smell of sewer gas in or around your home. Outdoors, you may notice wet, soggy patches on your lawn, or unusually lush, fast-growing grass caused by leaking sewage.
Generally speaking, you're usually responsible for drains inside the boundaries of your property, while the sewerage company is responsible for lateral drains, which are usually outside of property boundaries, and sewers. Although most sewers are now publicly owned, there are still some private or unadopted sewers.
Standard homeowners insurance may only cover sewer line damage caused by sudden, accidental perils such as fire, explosion, or impact. Gradual wear, root intrusion, corrosion, or poor maintenance are typically excluded from standard policies.
The "Golden Rule" is one of Progressive's Core Values, serving as the foundation for how they treat employees, customers, and business partners. It dictates that you should treat everyone with empathy, respect, and kindness, specifically tailored to how they want to be treated.
State Farm: customer experience comparison. In terms of claims satisfaction, State Farm has a better ranking than Progressive. In the 2024 J.D. Power's U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, State Farm earned a score of 710 out of 1,000 for overall claims satisfaction, which is above average.
Avoid making statements like, “I'm fine,” “It's not that bad,” or “I don't really need to see a doctor.” Insurance adjusters rely on your early descriptions to judge how seriously you are hurt, and any language about your pain not being that bad can be used against you in the future.
The 80% rule is a guideline in homeowners insurance stating you must insure your property for at least 80% of its total replacement cost to receive a full payout for covered repairs. If your coverage falls below this threshold, your insurance company may only pay a portion of your claim.
Common Reasons for Claim Denials
Popular Insurance Companies with the Most Complaints
State Farm is the #1 insurance company in the U.S. overall by market share and direct premiums written. However, the top ranking depends on the specific category of insurance you are looking for.
Nationally, USAA consistently receives the highest customer satisfaction ratings. However, because USAA policies are exclusively available to military members and their families, Amica Mutual and Erie Insurance are the top-rated national providers open to the general public.
Plumbing damage is generally covered by homeowners insurance if it's sudden and accidental, such as a burst pipe or broken appliance hose. Insurance typically covers losses resulting in water damage, not the cost to repair or replace the faulty plumbing itself.
The "135-degree rule" in plumbing states that the total (aggregate) horizontal change in direction for a drainage pipe—specifically trap arms—cannot exceed 135 degrees between the P-trap and the vent. Exceeding 135 degrees (such as using three 45-degree bends or a 90 and two 45s) requires a cleanout because sharp turns hinder flow and cause clogs.
Plumbers use a mix of forensic deduction and specialized technology to locate hidden leaks without tearing apart your home. They generally start by assessing the property for water damage and then utilize advanced tools to pinpoint the exact source.