How Much Does It Cost to Repair or Replace a Water Service Line in Wisconsin?
You Wisconsinites can handle the cold. In fact, youse guys seem to love it. But that doesn’t mean your water service line feels the same way. Even buried several feet underground, all it takes is an especially deep freeze, some overly enthusiastic digging or a tree root invasion to cause some real damage. And when damage does occur, all that water’s gotta go somewhere. When you’re staring at what appears to be a bubbler flooding your front lawn, your next step is to call in the experts. Luckily, diagnostic fees and repair costs are, on average, lower in America’s Dairyland than they are nationwide — but if the technician tells you you’re gonna need a full replacement, prepare yourself for a hefty bill.
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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 Wisconsin, these lines are buried 6.82 feet deep on average. That’s on the deep side of the national spectrum due to just how cold your winters can get. (Not that it’s a competition, but in Minnesota, pipe depth is 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 Wisconsin, 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: $123
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 Wisconsin, the fee for this is 45% lower than the national average.
Water Service Line Repair: $876
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.
Wisconsin’s average repair price is about 16% lower than the nation’s.
Water Service Line Replace: $4,801
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 Wisconsinites about 34% more than the average American — likely due to how deep technicians have to dig to get to your pipes.
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