How Much Does It Cost to Repair or Replace a Water Service Line in Georgia?

by Lauren Leazenby
cost guide, wsl

Since your water service line is buried underground, it’s easy enough to forget all about it. Out of sight, out of mind … until something goes sideways, that is. Remember how you told that friend you’d come up to see them “if the creek don’t rise?” Well, consider this — your broken water service line leaking and flooding your yard — the creek. Thankfully, for the most part, repair and replacement costs in the Peach State are lower than the national average.

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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.

graphic visualization showing a cut-away of a home exposing its rooms and home systems specifically focused on the water service line

The nationwide average water service line depth is 4.58 feet, but in Georgia, these lines are buried 3.08 feet deep on average. That’s pretty shallow considering that, in some f-f-f-freezing states like 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 Georgia, 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: $287

Before any work can begin, the technician will need to come out and run some tests to see what’s wrong with your system. Now, when we said it’s generally cheaper to have your water line serviced in Georgia, we didn’t mean this fee; diagnostic fees here are about 29% higher than the national average.

Water Service Line Repair: $713

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.

Georgia’s average repair price is about 31% lower than the nation’s.

Water Service Line Replace: $3,125

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 Georgians about 13% less than the average American.

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Video produced and directed by Eric Rossi: