If the repair is yours to pay
Get more than one quote before you agree to a price, and ask the contractor to confirm where the property line and the public side begin.
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Default rule and exceptions
Property owners are responsible for maintaining their water service lines that extend from the property to the city's water mains in the street.
| Party | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| Property owner | Responsible for maintaining the water service line from the property to the city water main in the street. |
| Exceptions | None on record |
What the source says
Last verified against the primary source on Oct 12, 2026.
Property owners are responsible for maintaining all of the plumbing inside and outside of their property, including their water and sanitary sewer service lines that extend from the property to the city’s water and sewer mains in the street.
For water line protection, the rate is $84.84 per year ... No customer is required to purchase the warranties.
City rules rest on state law. Read New York's sidewalk statute, quoted verbatim, or see all 50 states in one table.
Common questions
Who pays for water service line in New York, NY?
The property owner. Responsible for maintaining the water service line from the property to the city water main in the street.
Is there any cost help for water service line in New York, NY?
DEP offers an optional Service Line Protection Program billed on the DEP bill; the water line rate is $84.84 per year and no customer is required to purchase the warranties.
What is this based on for New York, NY?
This verdict is sourced to Service Line Protection Program and 2 sources in total, each independently re-checked before publication.
Sources
- Service Line Protection Programofficial-guide · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-12
- Service Line Protection Program (cost)official-guide · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-12
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