Nicole K. of Kansas City, Missouri was doing laundry for her family, one of her typical weeknight chores, when she realized that something didn’t smell quite right. To Nicole’s horror, a quick investigation found a small amount of raw sewage beginning to seep up through the floor drain.

Panicked, Nicole called a local plumber to assess the issue. The plumber snaked the line but couldn’t pinpoint the cause of the problem, leaving her with more questions than answers.

The next morning, Nicole and her husband remembered that about seven years earlier, when they purchased their home, they had signed up for HomeServe’s Exterior Sewer Line Repair Plan through a program that the city had recently introduced. Until now, they hadn’t needed to use it—but this seemed like the perfect time to see if it could help.

She braced herself for potentially complicated logistics, delays or surprise expenses. Instead, she was met with reassurance, and a quick response.