What breaks and what it costs
Buried lines fail from age, corrosion, freezing, tree roots, and animals — none of which are "sudden events" a base policy covers. When the sewer lateral collapses or the water service line splits, you're paying for excavation, repair or replacement, and re-landscaping: commonly five figures, driveway concrete extra. Michigan's freeze-thaw cycles and mature trees make it a matter of when for older homes.
What the endorsement covers
- Underground water, sewer, and drain lines from the street connection to the house
- Buried electrical service and data/communication lines
- Excavation, repair, replacement — and typically the torn-up lawn and hardscape restoration
- Often loss-of-use if the failure makes the home unlivable during repair
The verdict
For a typical premium of tens of dollars a year against a five-figure common failure mode, this is one of the rare endorsements we recommend near-universally for homes older than a couple of decades — which, around here, is most of them. Newer builds on newer infrastructure can reasonably wait.
One phone call: we'll check whether your current policy has it, what your carrier charges, and add it mid-term if wanted — endorsements don't wait for renewal.