Things you don't know you have to maintain yourself

If you're like most people, you probably have a vague sense that certain things in your house may be your responsibility, but you prefer to assume that they aren't. The phone line, for instance. Wouldn't you think that if all your phones suddenly go dead that it's the phone company's problem? Maybe. And maybe not. It depends on where the failure occurred. Unfortunately, the phone line is just one of several systems that you might be on the hook for fixing if something goes wrong.

Water Service Line

This one might surprise you. With most municipal water systems, the homeowner owns—and is responsible for maintaining—everything from the city's water main into the house. This includes the meter and its housing, the stop valve (located between the meter and the street), the main shutoff valve inside the house, and all of the piping connecting these elements, some of which is likely to extend beyond your property line, past the sidewalk and even into the street. If that's not incentive to "call before you dig," I don't know what is (oh, yeah, besides electrocution).

Sewer Drain

Although realtors generally don't list it among their "must-see!" features on house fliers, every home buyer becomes the proud owner of a leaky, muck-lined, 4-inch drain pipe extending from the house to the city's sewer main under the street. In the event of a major backup in your house, it's worth a quick call to the city to confirm that it's not a problem with their main. If not, guess who's footing the bill for a sewer cleaning...You're also in charge of the general floor cleanup, regardless of where the problem lies.

Electrical Service Cables

The good news is the electric company is in charge of the service lines (called the service drop) between the utility pole and your house. The bad news is the responsibility shifts to you (or more accurately, assuming you're not completely insane, your electrician) where the service drop is anchored to the house. This might be a metal pole with a funny hat (called a masthead), or it might be a rusty bracket clinging for dear life to a weathered piece of siding. Hopefully it's the former, because it's your baby.

Gas Service

Wisely, gas companies maintain jurisdiction all the way up the output side of a home's gas meter; you can imagine the calls they would get if people tried to fix their own meters. All piping and appliances from the meter forward are the homeowner's responsibility. But get this: If you smell a gas leak in your home, the first thing to do is go outside and call the gas company (or 9-1-1). You have to go outside because phones of all kinds are electrical devices that can ignite an explosion. See why they don't want you messing with their meters?

Phone Lines

As suggested earlier, the phone company isn't going to cover repairs all they way up to your ear, or anything else phone-related inside your house, at least not for free. They will maintain their service lines up to the house, typically stopping and waving at you from the demarcation jack (usually located on or inside an exterior wall). The standard phone jacks and connecting lines inside the house have a low-voltage electrical current, but it's generally safe to work with them. However, be aware that some of those connections have such small and numerous wires that you can feel like you're performing surgery on a hamster. 

To Learn More

Your city government and all of your utility service providers will be more than happy to outline exactly what's their responsibility and what's yours. Just check out their website or give them a call. And because every company and municipality has its own rules, it's smart to know what specifically applies to you. But be warned, the more you know, the less you can convince yourself that projects like a DIY swimming pool are a