Should you get insurance for sewer and water pipe connections?

You may have received ads in the mail, with the logo of the City of Phoenix, City of Mesa, among other cities, from Service Line Warranties of America.

The ads are legit, but is it a good idea to insure your sewer and water pipe connections?

It costs up to about $12 a month to cover sewer and water lines on your property, and they are not covered by the city. Should they break, you could be out thousands of dollars to get them fixed.

While cities are responsible for water lines and sewer pipes that run underneath the street, they are not responsible for the connector pipes that go from the street to your house. If they break, it can mean digging up your yard and spending thousands of dollars to fix it.

Homeowner's Insurance or home warranty may not cover the repair costs. That's where the service line warranty comes in.

"Most of us don't have issues with that," said Tammy Vo with the City of Phoenix. "We don't see leaks hopefully, but when you see one, you are left wondering how am I going to pay for this and who covers it."

Marc Gordon signed up, and is paying about $10 a month to protect his water and sewer connections. He got insurance after a sewer connection pipe broke at a neighbor's house.

"From my understanding, the root grew into the pipe itself and unexpectedly, it is a dramatic expense to go through and have the pipe replaced," said Gordon.

Should you get a sewer line or a water line warranty? The City of Phoenix said it's up to you. Factors to consider include the age of your home, and whether you have big trees and roots in your yard.

"If you are someone who likes the security of extra coverage, if you have a leak, you will not shell out a large amount of money," said Vo. "This might be good for you."

Service Line Warranties officials said over 35,000 Phoenix homeowners have signed up for the program over the past five years, saving over $1 million in repair expenses. The warranty company pays the City of Phoenix to use the city's logo in its direct mail ads, and the city plows that money back into city services.

Mesa, Tucson and other Arizona cities also work with Service Line Warranties.