Many homeowners aren’t aware of the full extent of the protection afforded by home warranty plans. While the typical home warranty plan covers replacement and repair costs for your home’s systems and appliances, add-on options can increase the number of covered repairs to include items such as septic pumping.
We’ve reviewed more than 35 providers across the country and narrowed it down to the best home warranty companies for peace of mind. From there, we researched each provider’s sewer line coverage and vetted the repair plans they offer. We determined that American Home Shield, Choice Home Warranty, and America’s 1st Choice Home Club offer the best service line repair options in the industry.
Keep reading to learn how sewer line coverage generally works and what each company’s specific coverage options and exclusions include.
Do Home Warranty Plans Cover Sewer Lines?
Most home warranty companies offer at least one systems plan and several add-on options for your home’s plumbing system. Enrolling in a home warranty can help you anticipate repair costs and mitigate potential water service interruptions in the future.
Covered Issues
If you choose a home warranty plan with systems coverage, plumbing and plumbing stoppages are often covered. The typical plumbing protection for your sewer line includes these problems:
- Leaks and breaks of drain, gas, waste, vent, and water lines
- Clearing of sink, bathtub, shower, and toilet stoppages
- Clearing of mainline drain and sewer stoppages through an accessible cleanup within 100 feet of the access point
- Clearing of lateral drain line stoppages
Add-On Options
Home warranties typically cover interior components within the occupied living space, but you can often add optional coverage items to your plan, such as the ones below, for an additional monthly fee:
- Mainline stoppages/clogs in your septic system pumping (which can typically be used once per plan term)
- Septic tank systems, which include jet pumps, aerobic pumps, and sewage ejector pumps
Exclusions
Home warranty coverage applies to covered items damaged by normal wear and tear. It does not cover accidental damage or breakdowns due to insufficient maintenance. Sewer line protection typically excludes the following:
- Broken or collapsed sewer lines outside the foundation
- Stoppages due to tree roots
- Disposal of waste
- Cost of finding or gaining access to septic tank or sewer hookups
- Systems with insufficient capacity
Best Home Warranty Providers for Sewer Lines
Here are the top home warranty companies for protecting your sewer line:
American Home Shield
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Alaska)
- Service Fee: $75–$125
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit AHS site
American Home Shield (AHS) offers plumbing coverage up to $1,000 with all its plan options. You can add coverage for one annual septic tank pumping.
AHS’s plumbing coverage covers toilets and their related mechanisms, as well as leaks and breaks in the water, drain, gas, waste, and vent lines. AHS will also cover clearing the sink, bathtub, shower, and toilet stoppages. AHS technicians are approved to clear the mainline drain, sewer, and lateral drain line through an accessible cleanout within 100 feet of the access point. It will repair walls and access points to a rough finish.
Per its service agreement, AHS excludes blockages caused by collapsed, broken, and damaged service lines outside your home’s foundation. Septic tanks are not covered. If a technician cannot easily locate the cleanout for your sewer line, AHS will not cover the cost to locate or access these sites.
Choice Home Warranty
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Washington)
- Service Fee: $85
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit Choice site
Choice Home Warranty offers two plan options, both of which include plumbing systems in the base coverage. Compared to AHS’s $1,000 coverage cap on plumbing systems, Choice’s coverage cap is more generous at $3,000 per covered item. The language of Choice’s service agreement is very similar to AHS’s covered items, limitations, and exclusions.
One difference is that Choice specifies that it does not cover plumbing systems or plumbing stoppages that must be accessed through the home’s roof vents. Choice also offers two separate additional coverage options for septic tank pumping and your septic system. Septic tank pumping is covered up to $250, while the septic system (sewage ejector, jet, and aerobic pumps) is covered up to $500.
America’s 1st Choice Home Club
Fast Facts:
- State Availability: 49 (all but Hawaii)
- Service Fee: $75–$125
- Get a Quick Quote: Visit AFC Home Club site
America’s 1st Choice Home Club’s (AFC Home Club) systems coverage includes plumbing systems and plumbing stoppages. It will pay up to $500 toward visible interior leaks and breaks in the water supply pipes, drain, vent, waste, and dishwasher supply lines. Technicians must have unobstructed access to a stoppage within the confines of the home. It does not cover pipe failures or blockages that result from collapses, freezing, or tree-root damage.
According to its service agreement, AFC Home Club’s technicians will restore the access point to a rough finish up to $200, which will be subtracted from the total plumbing coverage limit.
AFC Home Club also offers add-on coverage for your septic system, which includes the sewage ejector, jet, and aerobic pumps. It does not cover the septic tank, the line from the house, leach lines, field lines, lateral lines, clean out, insufficient capacity, or the grinder pump. It will pay up to $500 per plan term, separate from the total plumbing limit.
Compare the Top Home Warranties for Sewer Line Coverage
Each home warranty provider will have a different coverage cap for its plumbing systems and a separate coverage cap for its add-on options.
You can compare the best home warranty companies for sewer line coverage in the table below.
Company |
Coverage Cap for Plumbing |
Coverage Cap for Add-Ons |
Service Call Fee |
$1,000 |
Septic pumping is covered once per plan term |
$75–$125 |
|
$3,000 |
$250 (septic tank pumping), $500 for septic system |
$85 |
|
$500 |
$500 (septic system) |
$75–$125 |
Our Recommendation
Home warranties allow homeowners to bundle their essential systems and appliances under one protection plan, which can help eliminate the inconvenience of understanding the terms of separate policies. To confirm you’re making the best choice for your home’s needs, we recommend requesting a quote from three providers and comparing their plan options, covered items, and fine print.
If you’re looking for a home warranty with excellent coverage for your sewer service line, we recommend Choice Home Warranty due to its higher-than-average coverage cap of $3,000 for plumbing systems and add-on options for septic tank pumping and septic systems. American Home Shield is another worthwhile consideration because its base plans cover more items than its competitors. AFC Home Club stands out for its plan-length workmanship guarantee, which means any covered repairs completed during your plan term can be reserviced at no additional charge.
How to Take Care of Your Sewer Line
With basic sewer maintenance, you can prevent many inconvenient backups and clogs. Regularly maintaining your sewer line also decreases the likelihood of a denied claim. Here are a few easy tips to ensure your service line stays in working order:
- Dispose of grease and cooking oil by throwing it in the trash: Grease will solidify in your pipes. Over time, grease build-up can create a significant backup.
- Be discerning about what you put in your garbage disposal: You shouldn’t put animal bones, eggshells, or fibrous foods in your garbage disposal, as it can lead to a clog.
- Call a plumber if you notice a clogged drain: If your home is prone to clogs, you can snake your drain once a month to prevent recurrent blockages.
- Maintain your landscaping: Tree roots and shrubs can disrupt your home’s foundation and service lines, leading to sewer line problems.
Home Warranties for Sewer Lines FAQ
How We Chose the Top Home Warranty Providers
Our team reviewed and researched dozens of home warranty providers, thoroughly analyzed sample agreements, and identified customer pain points based on analysis of customer reviews and interviews with industry experts.
During this process, we determined that the most critical aspects of a home warranty company include available service plans and add-ons, depth of coverage, plan cost, industry reputation, customer support infrastructure, and additional features. We also focused on the ability to choose your own contractor, upgrade your coverage package, transfer your plan to another owner, and cover roof leaks, high-end appliance brands, ceiling and exhaust fans, and faucets and fixtures.
Our research supported that plan coverage should carry the most weight, with customer support as the second-most important factor. Industry reputation, plan availability, and additional features were rated equally. We determined that price range, while worth considering, should not be the primary basis for choosing a home warranty provider for your home’s needs.