FAQs • Leyden Township, IL • CivicEngage

Doesn’t my homeowner’s insurance already cover these repairs?: Typically no. Most homeowners are surprised to learn that they are responsible for the repair and the replacement of their broken, blocked or leaking utility lines on their property. While most basic homeowners policies will pay to repair the consequential damage that results from failed utility lines, they do not cover the repair itself. We encourage homeowners to call their insurance company to determine actual coverage. If homeowners live in a condominium or duplex dwelling, they are also encouraged to contact their homeowners association to determine if coverage is needed prior to enrollment.

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Public Works - Service Line Warranties of America’s (SLWA)

Service Line Warranties of America's (SLWA) partnership agreement with Leyden Township allows the company to use the logos in communications to indicate that there is a formal relationship in place and to let residents know that the offering is legitimate, it is for the residents benefit and has the approval of the city.
All of the mailings SLWA sends to Leyden Township area residents are first reviewed and approved by the City.
SLWA is committed to transparency in all of its communications. All SLWA materials clearly state that the services the company offers are voluntary and that they are offered by SLWA, a private company that is separate from the city.

2. What is the relationship between Service Line Warranties of America and Leyden Township?: Each agreement with a utility or municipality is a little different and is tailored to meet the needs of the community. The partnership allows Service Line Warranties of America to offer customers the most competitive monthly fee on available services. Under all partnerships, the decision by residents to sign up for a SLWA service plan is completely optional.

Many residents are not aware that buried water or sewer lines on their property are their responsibility. A broken or blocked water or sewer line on the property can cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace and many times residents are not prepared for this unexpected expense. Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) not only works to educate the residents but also provides a solution.
Further, SLWA has been recognized the trusted source of utility line plans endorsed by the National League of Cities (NLC).

As the largest provider of water and sewer service line repair plans in North America, Service Line Warranties of America's (SLWA) and its parent company HomeServe, performed tens of thousands of water and sewer service line repairs for customers every year.
It is very difficult to determine when a pipe may fail, with key contributors being the type of piping material, age of the service pipe, soil conditions and installation quality. Our data suggests that failures in water pipes occur most often in homes between the age of 30 and 60 years old. With the median age of homes in the U.S. being 42 years, the threat of failure is a major concern for the majority of homeowners as many service pipes are functioning on borrowed time.
Water line repair can be costly - a replacement averages $2,500 nationally. With the modest cost of SLWA's service plan, homeowners would still see financial benefit if the service line didn't break for another few decades -verses saving the small monthly fee at current rates.

5. I see there are complaints on the BBB site for Service Line Warranties of America?: Service Line Warranties of America, and its parent company HomeServe, are proud of their A+ ratings with the BBB. The BBB notes that the relatively small number of complaints (300 over last 3 years) for a company the size of SLWA/HomeServe (3 million customers with millions of interactions and 1.1 million repairs over the same 3 year period) is one of the positive factors contributing to the A+ rating. Service Line Warranties of America and HomeServe take each customer concern seriously and works to resolve the issues to the customer's satisfaction.

6. Doesn’t my homeowner’s insurance already cover these repairs?: Typically no. Most homeowners are surprised to learn that they are responsible for the repair and the replacement of their broken, blocked or leaking utility lines on their property. While most basic homeowners policies will pay to repair the consequential damage that results from failed utility lines, they do not cover the repair itself. We encourage homeowners to call their insurance company to determine actual coverage. If homeowners live in a condominium or duplex dwelling, they are also encouraged to contact their homeowners association to determine if coverage is needed prior to enrollment.

The reality is most people do not have rainy day funds and so a low-cost home repair service plan can be a sensible tool for many families to include in their financial strategy.
The Biannual State of Home Survey, conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of HomeServe, tracks homeowner readiness for a sudden home emergency repair expense. The Summer 2017 recent release of the survey found that 29% of respondents have $0 set aside for unexpected emergency, while 38% have less than $500 set aside. This data is consistent with the Federal Reserve's 2016 Report on Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households that found that 44% of adults say they either could not cover an emergency expense costing $400 or would cover it by selling something or borrowing money.
Many of the repairs covered by SLWA service plans can be quite expensive and an unexpected blow to a homeowner's wallet. For example, a water line replacement averages $2,500 nationally. With the modest cost of a water line service plan, homeowners would still see financial benefit if the service line didn't break for another few decades versus saving the small monthly fee at current interest rates.