Greg shares tips utility line management in this episode of Ask The Expert. 800 CHAB radio presents Ask the Expert with Greg Marcyniuk of Heritage Insurance located in Moose Jaw.
Here's a full transcript of the episode.
Rob Carnie: Well, the city of Moose Jaw entered Phase Four of cast iron water main replacement here in Moose Jaw.
A number of areas will get fixed up over the course of the summer, and a lot of people are facing some tough decisions. And insurance does come into play in some situations.
And here to tell us more about that, Greg Marcyniuk, Heritage Insurance in downtown Moose Jaw. Greg, I know you've got a number of clients over the course of the last several years who have come to you for advice.
Greg Marcyniuk: That's correct, Rob. And a lot of homeowners don't realize that there's a hidden risk there that a lot of them ignore, unfortunately. And what it is is, Whose Line Is It, Anyway?
And what line am I talking about? I'm talking about your water and sewer pipes, cable, internet, electrical wire, natural gas pipes, propane pipes. And typically, the lines that are under your property are your responsibility, and the break-in lines are accidents during digging can happen or need repair. Because physically damaged lines or pipe costs are, you know, the costs are absolutely astronomical.
And in most places a city, town, or utility will not assume any responsibility whatsoever for the portion of the service line that runs underground on your property or to or from the public connection. And typically, the homeowners insurance, as it stands, does not cover anything whatsoever.
And, you know, as far as how these lines become damaged — most often, it's tree roots, animal interference, artificial electrical current, the weight of vehicles pressing down on the line, and even corrosion, rust, wear and tear. And as well, outdoor elements can cause things like these to — that can be very detrimental.
So, we do have good news. There is coverage available. It's an additional cost to the homeowners. We see it utilized all the time, and I'm not going to go into that on this discussion here.But I do recommend if anybody at all out there, they should call in, talk to any one of our brokers about what the coverage is and what it entails.
Rob: Service line disruption coverage is what it is. And yeah, it's on top of your home insurance. You can buy it, certainly. And peace of mind. If you've got that insurance, you've got peace of mind because this underground work can cost a lot of money.
Greg: Oh, I've seen where it's upwards of $10,000 a lot of times. So I certainly do recommend that people do come in, talk about it, and add it on to your policy.
Rob: All right. And we can find more information online.
Greg: That's correct, heritageinsurance.ca.
Rob: Or drop in, see any of the brokers at Heritage Insurance, downtown Moose Jaw, corner of First Northwest and Fairford Street.
(Video transcription by Speechpad)