SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego residents will soon be getting letters in the mail about a program that city officials say could save them thousands of dollars in pipe repair costs.
While the city is responsible for maintaining water and sewage systems in neighborhoods, the actual service lines that run to individual homes are the homeowner’s responsibility — a fact many residents only realize when problems arise.
“If you have reduced pressure in your line or if you notice that you're getting a high bill from the water department because there's a leak between the meter and your house or there's pooling of water in the front yard … you know you've got a problem,” said Miles Meehan, a spokesperson for Service Line Warranties of America.
“On the sewer side, if you have a backup inside the home or something like that, there's the telltale sign that there might be a problem in your sewer line,” Meehan added.
Meehan said the independent home repair company has partnered with the city to offer optional protection plans for homeowners. He said repairs can be costly.
“If you're just going to make a simple repair, it might be $1,000 and for sewer lines to unblock it could be $300 to $500 … and to replace a section could be well over $1,500 and to do the whole line itself could be $3,000 to $4,000. It's a significant amount of money that people just generally don't have sitting around waiting for that rainy day,” Meehan said.
Plans start at $6.33 a month for exterior water service line coverage and $8.58 a month for exterior sewer or septic line coverage. There is no deductible.
“That covers up to $8,500 per incident, and it's unlimited incidents throughout the year,” Meehan said.
Homeowners call the 24/7 hotline to request service.
“We'll take your information and dispatch that to one of our contractors that are in the area, and they will contact you and set up a time for the visit. Typically, that happens on the same day of the very next day that visit comes so the repair work can get started,” Meehan said.
He added that standard homeowners insurance typically does not cover this type of wear-and-tear repair.
“Typically, on your standard homeowners insurance policy, this type of wear and tear type repair which is what it's called is not covered. now you could purchase a rider on your homeowner's insurance and pay for that … but you still have to go find a contractor,” said Meehan.
The program already has more than 10,000 participants, who Meehan said have saved nearly $4 million in out-of-pocket repair expenses since it began.
For more information, visit https://www.slwofa.com/
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