Frozen pipes can happen in any home where outdoor temperatures drop below freezing, from Minnesota to Texas to Georgia. This checklist is written for any city in the United States. Pick a tab, tick items as you go, and print it if you want a copy on the fridge. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Frozen and burst pipe checklist
Last reviewed: November 2026. If a pipe has already burst, jump to the burst tab above.
Is tonight a risk? A rule-of-thumb guide
Use your local forecast low. These bands are a common rule of thumb, not a guarantee. Wind, insulation and how long the cold lasts change the picture.
From a cold night to a flooded basement
This is why a burst pipe is usually found after the freeze, not during it.
Where pipes freeze
It is not always the coldest place in the house. Pipes freeze where cold air reaches them and warm air does not.
Crawlspaces
Vented crawlspaces let cold air in. Lines run under the floor with little protection.
Exterior walls
Kitchen and bathroom lines on outside walls sit between the cold and the room heat.
Attics
Lines and water heater supplies near the roof deck, above the insulation.
Garages and laundry rooms
Often unheated, and a door that opens lets wind in.
Hose bibs and irrigation
Water sits in the spigot and the line behind it.
Vacant or unheated rooms
A closed-up room, a vacation home or a house with the heat off.
Mild-climate homes vs cold-climate homes
Where you live changes where the risk is.
Mild-climate homes
- Often built for rare freezes, with lines in attics, exterior walls and vented crawlspaces.
- Little pipe insulation and few shutoff habits.
- The biggest risk is a rare hard freeze catching a house unprepared.
Cold-climate homes
- Lines usually run inside the heated envelope, and service lines are buried below the frost line.
- Problems come from exterior-wall lines, unheated garages and failed heat.
- The biggest risk is a power or heating failure in a long cold snap.
How to keep pipes from freezing
The most useful steps are cheap. Insulate exposed lines with foam sleeves. Cover or close foundation vents before a hard freeze. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls. Let faucets drip, because moving water is harder to freeze. Keep the heat on and steady. If you will be away, have someone check the house, or shut off the main and drain the lines. These steps are in the checklist above.
Do
- Open the faucet before you thaw a pipe.
- Start warming at the faucet end.
- Use a hair dryer or warm towels.
- Shut off the main if you find a crack.
Do not
- Use a torch, flame or kerosene heater.
- Leave a heat source unattended on a pipe.
- Ignore a bulge or a crack.
- Assume it is fixed because water came back.
Power outage or house left empty
If the heat or power may be off for a long stretch, or you are leaving a house for the winter, shut off the main water, open the faucets to drain the lines and ask a plumber about draining the water heater and any irrigation. A house with no one in it can run a burst line for days before anyone notices. For a long outage, move to a room with heat if you can and check pipes as soon as the power returns.
What to do when a pipe bursts
Shut off the main, turn off power to the wet area if you can reach the breaker dry, and call a plumber. Take photos before anything moves. Then call a water damage company to extract water, remove what cannot be saved and dry the structure.
What the drying job looks like after a burst
After a burst, a crew pumps out standing water, removes wet carpet and pad, cuts drywall above the wet line, and sets air movers and dehumidifiers. In a crawlspace they pump, remove wet insulation and dry the dirt and the air. Readings are taken each visit and the job ends when materials read dry. Drying often takes several days, longer for crawlspaces and hardwood. Cold buildings dry slowly, so expect heat and the right dehumidifiers to be part of the job.
Limitations of this checklist
What this tool does not do
- It is general guidance for homes across the United States, not a plumbing inspection. Every house freezes in different places.
- It cannot tell you which pipe in your house is at risk. Look first at lines on exterior walls, in the crawlspace, attic and garage.
- It does not cover fire sprinkler systems or irrigation. Ask your sprinkler contractor about those.
- Temperature bands are a rule of thumb. Use your own local forecast, and remember your street can be colder than the forecast point.
- Dripping a faucet lowers the risk but does not guarantee a pipe will not freeze, and it uses water.
- Local codes, utilities and insurers differ. Follow your plumber, your water utility and your policy.
- It does not replace a plumber or an electrician. If you smell gas or see sparks, leave and call the utility or 911.
- Nothing you tick is saved or sent. The list resets when you close the page.
How to read the result
Use the lists as reminders, not proof that the house is safe. If a line freezes or bursts, the burst tab covers the first steps, and the plumber comes before the cleanup.
Factors that move the number
Wind and exposure
A pipe in the path of cold air freezes sooner than one in a sheltered wall.
Insulation
Foam sleeves and wall insulation slow heat loss. Gaps are where lines freeze.
How long it stays cold
Several hours at 20°F or below is far riskier than a short dip.
Heat in the house
A steady thermostat keeps interior walls warm. A cold or empty house does not.
Pipe location
Crawlspaces, exterior walls, attics and garages are the usual weak spots.
Vacancy
A house with no one in it can run a burst line for days before anyone notices.
Frozen pipe questions
How cold does it have to get for pipes to freeze?
Pipes in unprotected spaces can freeze when temperatures drop to the low 20s or below for several hours. Wind and exposure matter, and a pipe in an exterior wall can freeze sooner than a pipe in the middle of the house.
Should I leave water dripping?
On hard-freeze nights, yes, especially on lines along exterior walls. A slow drip keeps water moving.
Can I thaw a pipe myself?
Yes, with a hair dryer or warm towels, with the faucet open. Never use a flame.
Can plastic pipe freeze?
Yes. Flexible plastic pipe such as PEX is less likely to split than copper, but the water inside can still freeze and block the line.
What if I do not find the burst until the thaw?
Shut off the main, call a plumber and call a water damage company. Many calls come after the thaw, when the ice melts and the water starts to flow.
Is a burst pipe covered by insurance?
Many homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental damage such as a burst pipe and exclude slow leaks. Coverage depends on your policy, so call your insurer and take photos first.
In the Kennesaw, GA area? We do the water extraction and drying after a burst pipe. See winter burst pipe cleanup in Kennesaw, or call (678) 940-0778. Everywhere else, call a local water damage company.
Related pages: frozen and burst pipe cleanup, crawlspace water removal, structural drying and the water damage cost calculator.
Water on the floor right now? Call us. (678) 940-0778