How Much Does Water Main Line Repair Cost?

By Matt Schmitz

September 09, 2021

That pothole in your driveway that turned out to be caused by a leaking underground water line had you bracing for the worst. But when it turns out that the pipeline running underneath your property needs only a small leaky section repaired versus a full replacement, you can consider yourself fortunate. While there’s still a lot of wet work ahead, the job probably won’t run your bank account dry. According to HomeServe data, the average cost to repair an exterior water service line totals just over $1,000 — considerably less than one-third the cost of a replacement, which’ll run you nearly $3,600 on average.

This May Also Interest You: What's an Exterior Water Service Line?

Several variables will go into the calculation of what you’ll ultimately pay for your exterior water line repairs. First off, don’t forget to factor in an average $222 diagnostic fee — as the contractor you call almost certainly will charge you to show up and determine what’s wrong and how to fix it. Moreover, it’s likely that the problem will be the result of a combination of factors — it’s clogged, has multiple leaking sections or is otherwise compromised — and that, in turn, will necessitate a combination of solutions carrying their own individual costs. Taken together, those costs figure into the national average, but keep in mind that your final price will also vary based on where you live.

A Word on Water Lines

Your exterior water service line is the sort of thing you likely don’t even realize exists until something goes wrong. An exterior water service line carries water from the public main into your home. The path water takes to get to your faucet has three major components:

The water distribution main that connects to the larger community water supply, owned and maintained by a local government entity
The public water service line, a portion of the service line that belongs to the local government, runs under public land and is, thus, publicly maintained
The private water service line, which brings fresh water from the main line into your home through an underground pipeline, and is maintained by you, the homeowner, starting at your property line

What’s the Problem?

Common reasons you experience trouble with your exterior water service line include:

Pipe aging
Corrosion
Ground shifting
Extreme temperature swings
Fallen trees
Tree roots
Clogs
Careless digging or too-forceful yardwork
Earthquakes
General wear and tear
Lack of maintenance

Signs of Trouble

In other words: Your water line, despite being buried under the soil, is still susceptible to damage. Here are some of the things that can happen when your water service line is compromised:

Dirty, rusty or bad-smelling water
Unusually high water bills
Puddles in the front yard
Soggy, wet patches that don’t go away on their own
Damp spots on floors, walls or ceilings
Mold
Low water pressure
Potholes or sinkholes in your driveway or sidewalk
The sound of running water, constant dripping, a delicate stream or even a softly babbling brook, even when none of your water-using appliances are in use

What Needs to Be Done?

Unfortunately, repairing your water service line isn’t a DIY job, so you will need to call in the professionals. Work done by whomever you hire to fix the problem likely will include:

Excavation to expose the pipe
Pipe repair
Clearing blockage
Fitting external valves
Fusing
Welding
Pipe cutting
Locating a leak
Backfilling

Don’t assume your homeowners insurance will cover the cost of repairs. In most cases, it doesn’t, so this is an expense you’ll want to be prepared for. Because your water line is buried underneath your lawn, one of the biggest expenses contributing to the total repair price is going to be digging it up.

What’s This Gonna Cost?

To give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for your water service line repairs, HomeServe has calculated the average costs, both nationally and state by state, for comparison. In order to determine what’s wrong with your system, you’ll have to call someone out to diagnose the problem, which comes with its own cost. We’ve calculated that average, as well. The depth of your pipes has a bearing on cost, so we’ve listed the average depth here, too.

For a broader look at water service line expenses, check out our cost guide covering pricing averages for both repair and replacement state by state. And for a deeper dive into what factors into how much you’ll pay to get your water service line replaced outright, go to our state-by-state replacement cost guide.

Below, you’ll find the average costs for water service line repair in your state, plus the average depths the water lines are buried. All figures are based on aggregated HomeServe data reported by our network of thousands of contractors across the nation. Where insufficient data was available to determine a verifiable average, we’ve noted so.

(At the time of this publication, another factor dramatically driving up costs was pandemic-precipitated materials shortages, impacting home maintenance, repair and construction sectors across the board; those supply-chain issues are generally expected to be temporary and are not reflected here.)

Nationwide

Diagnosis: $222
Repair: $1,039
Service Line Depth: 4.58 feet

State by State

1. Alabama

Diagnosis: $126
Repair: $721
Service Line Depth: 2.49 feet

2. Alaska

Diagnosis: Insufficient data
Repair: Insufficient data
Service Line Depth: Insufficient data

3. Arizona

Diagnosis: $190
Repair: $742
Service Line Depth: 2.82 feet

4. Arkansas

Diagnosis: $230
Repair: $931
Service Line Depth: 3.67 feet

5. California

Diagnosis: $168
Repair: $865
Service Line Depth: 3.17 feet

6. Colorado

Diagnosis: $152
Repair: $797
Service Line Depth: 6.16 feet

7. Connecticut

Diagnosis: $150
Repair: $972
Service Line Depth: 7.32 feet

8. Delaware

Diagnosis: $152
Repair: $1,020
Service Line Depth: 4.45 feet

9. District of Columbia

Diagnosis: $98
Repair: Insufficient data
Service Line Depth: 4.00 feet

10. Florida

Diagnosis: $179
Repair: $742
Service Line Depth: 2.53 feet

11. Georgia

Diagnosis: $287
Repair: $713
Service Line Depth: 3.08 feet

12. Hawaii

Diagnosis: Insufficient data
Repair: Insufficient data
Service Line Depth: Insufficient data

13. Idaho

Diagnosis: $195
Repair: $1,151
Service Line Depth: 4.95 feet

14. Illinois

Diagnosis: $159
Repair: $854
Service Line Depth: 5.26 feet

15. Indiana

Diagnosis: $143
Repair: $889
Service Line Depth: 3.83 feet

16. Iowa

Diagnosis: $184
Repair: $861
Service Line Depth: 5.97 feet

17. Kansas

Diagnosis: $126
Repair: $937
Service Line Depth: 4.68 feet

18. Kentucky

Diagnosis: $150
Repair: $1,100
Service Line Depth: 3.75 feet

19. Louisiana

Diagnosis: $199
Repair: $799
Service Line Depth: 3.81 feet

20. Maine

Diagnosis: $170
Repair: $612
Service Line Depth: 5.00 feet

21. Maryland

Diagnosis: $112
Repair: $1,020
Service Line Depth: 5.11 feet

22. Massachusetts

Diagnosis: $158
Repair: $1,171
Service Line Depth: 4.79 feet

23. Michigan

Diagnosis: $208
Repair: $978
Service Line Depth: 6.07 feet

24. Minnesota

Diagnosis: $174
Repair: $901
Service Line Depth: 8.27 feet

25. Mississippi

Diagnosis: $241
Repair: Insufficient data
Service Line Depth: 2.52 feet

26. Missouri

Diagnosis: $126
Repair: $924
Service Line Depth: 5.15 feet

27. Montana

Diagnosis: $206
Repair: $780
Service Line Depth: 5.64 feet

28. Nebraska

Diagnosis: $92
Repair: $274
Service Line Depth: 5.80 feet

29. Nevada

Diagnosis: Insufficient data
Repair: $715
Service Line Depth: 3.50 feet

30. New Hampshire

Diagnosis: Insufficient data
Repair: $1,254
Service Line Depth: 5.00 feet

31. New Jersey

Diagnosis: $123
Repair: $855
Service Line Depth: 5.04 feet

32. New Mexico

Diagnosis: $188
Repair: $998
Service Line Depth: 3.96 feet

33. New York

Diagnosis: $137
Repair: $1,039
Service Line Depth: 5.02 feet

34. North Carolina

Diagnosis: $205
Repair: $834
Service Line Depth: 3.89 feet

35. North Dakota

Diagnosis: $198
Repair: $474
Service Line Depth: Insufficient data

36. Ohio

Diagnosis: $268
Repair: $935
Service Line Depth: 5.76 feet

37. Oklahoma

Diagnosis: $138
Repair: $973
Service Line Depth: 2.90 feet

38. Oregon

Diagnosis: $185
Repair: $964
Service Line Depth: 4.05 feet

39. Pennsylvania

Diagnosis: $159
Repair: $964
Service Line Depth: 4.62 feet

40. Rhode Island

Diagnosis: $195
Repair: $937
Service Line Depth: 6.00 feet

41. South Carolina

Diagnosis: $308
Repair: $687
Service Line Depth: 2.68 feet

42. South Dakota

Diagnosis: $153
Repair: $866
Service Line Depth: 6.30 feet

43. Tennessee

Diagnosis: $195
Repair: $830
Service Line Depth: 3.07 feet

44. Texas

Diagnosis: $211
Repair: $859
Service Line Depth: 2.93 feet

45. Utah

Diagnosis: $94
Repair: $789
Service Line Depth: 4.16 feet

46. Vermont

Diagnosis: Insufficient data
Repair: $1,240
Service Line Depth: 4.00 feet

47. Virginia

Diagnosis: $209
Repair: $1,062
Service Line Depth: 4.58 feet

48. Washington

Diagnosis: $243
Repair: $968
Service Line Depth: 3.18 feet

49. West Virginia

Diagnosis: $252
Repair: $1,058
Service Line Depth: 3.88 feet

50. Wisconsin

Diagnosis: $123
Repair: $876
Service Line Depth: 6.82 feet

51. Wyoming

Diagnosis: $164
Repair: $737
Service Line Depth: 6.37 feet

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