How Much Does It Cost to Repair or Replace a Water Service Line in Illinois?
Like the 6-foot-4 16th president of the United States for which it’s nicknamed, the Land of Lincoln is very tall. The distance Illinois covers north to south means its climate varies widely, from bone-chilling winters up toward Chicago to a more moderate cold-weather season closer to Carbondale. That disparity significantly figures into how much you’ll pay to fix a problem with your underground water line — and you don’t want to wait until you’re tromping through a mini-Lake Michigan in your lawn to find out. Keep reading to learn why and how, but suffice it to say that, due to its expansive vertical geography, Prairie State peeps, on average, pay slightly less to repair or replace their water service line than the average American.
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Your exterior water service line carries water from the public water main into your home. But make no mistake: Once the pipes run under your property, they’re your responsibility — so you’re likely on the hook for any repair or replacement costs.
How deep your pipes are buried deeply impacts the price you pay for these services. Water service lines are buried as deep as local building codes require — but usually, the depth is determined by the frost line in your area. And the deeper the technician must dig to get to your broken or otherwise compromised line, the higher the cost.
The nationwide average water service line depth is 4.58 feet, but in Illinois, these lines are buried 5.26 feet deep on average. That’s on the deeper side of the spectrum among U.S. states due to those aforementioned arctic winters of the northern half of the state — but by no means the deepest, with some f-f-f-freezing states like Minnesota reaching more than 8 feet.
Repair and replacement costs also vary depending on where you live. The national average for diagnosis is $222, for repair is $1,039 and for replacement is $3,581.
Below, you’ll find average service prices based on aggregated HomeServe data reported by our network of contractors across Illinois, which should give you an approximation of how much you’ll pay to fix your out-of-commission water service line.
Water Service Line Diagnosis: $159
Before any work can begin, the technician will need to come out and run some tests to see what’s wrong with your system. In Illinois, the fee for this is about 28% lower than the national average.
Water Service Line Repair: $854
A whole host of things can cause trouble with your exterior water service line — from invading tree roots to clogs to general wear and tear. Whatever’s up with your system, the repair process will likely start with excavation to expose the pipe. Depending on your situation, the technician may need to clear a blockage, find a leak or fix the pipe — and, of course, fill the hole back in.
Illinois’ average repair price is about 18% lower than the nation’s.
Water Service Line Replace: $3,435
Small sections of leaky or broken pipe can be repaired, but massive clogs or fully compromised pipes might necessitate a full replacement. Water service line replacements cost Illinoisans about 4% less than the average American.
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