Before a hard freeze, insulate exposed pipes, let faucets drip and find your main shut-off. If a pipe bursts, close the main valve, stay away from wet outlets and call a plumber for the pipe. Many frozen pipes leak only as they thaw, so check ceilings and walls after temperatures rise.
Key takeaways
- Pipes in attics, exterior walls, garages and exposed spots such as hose bibs and irrigation backflow assemblies are the usual failures in a North Texas freeze.
- A frozen pipe often does not leak until it thaws, so the water shows up hours after the cold breaks, sometimes when nobody is home.
- Knowing where your main water shut-off valve is, before the freeze, is the single most useful thing a homeowner can do.
- The February 2021 storm, 14 to 18 February, produced the coldest temperatures on record in parts of Texas since 1883 and more than 500,000 insurance claims statewide, about 85% residential.
- A licensed plumber repairs the pipe; the restoration crew extracts water, finds hidden moisture and dries the house. Insurance coverage is decided by your insurer under your policy.
- Drying within 24 to 48 hours is an EPA guideline, not a deadline, and mold can be present even in materials that dried inside that window.
Why do pipes freeze and burst in North Texas?
Water expands as it freezes, and a pipe blocked by ice can build enough pressure between the ice and a closed faucet to split. In North Texas the usual failures are pipes in attics, exterior walls and garages, plus hose bibs and irrigation backflow assemblies. The split often goes unnoticed until the ice melts.
Most winters in this part of Texas have a few nights below freezing, and that is the catch. Homes here were built for a mild climate, so a lot of plumbing sits where a colder region would never put it: in an attic, in a wall on the north side of the house, or in an unheated garage. Slab-on-grade houses usually put the water heater and some supply lines in the attic, and attic pipes have less protection from a cold night than pipes inside the heated walls.
The split itself is not the leak. A frozen pipe is plugged with ice, so while it stays frozen, little or nothing escapes. When temperatures rise above freezing and the ice melts, the crack opens to pressurized water. That is why people often discover the damage on the morning of the thaw, or hours later when they come home.
Exposed fixtures are the other usual suspects. A hose bib with a hose still attached, an irrigation backflow assembly above ground and a pool or sprinkler supply line can all freeze when the water inside has nowhere to go. These are outside, which makes them easy to cover and easy to forget.
What should you do before a hard freeze?
Find and test your main shut-off valve, disconnect and drain hoses, cover exposed hose bibs and backflow assemblies, and insulate pipes in the attic, garage and exterior walls. During the freeze, let faucets drip and open cabinet doors on exterior walls. Keep the house heated, and ask someone to check it if you travel.
Preparation is cheap compared with the cleanup. Start with the shut-off valve. Know where the water enters the house, turn it by hand once so you know it moves, and make sure everyone in the home knows where it is. If you have to find it for the first time while water pours out of a wall, you will lose minutes you do not have.
Insulate what can be reached. Foam sleeves on exposed pipes and covers on outdoor spigots are inexpensive. Seal drafts around pipes where they pass through walls. If your water heater and air handler are in the attic, be aware that the lines feeding them are some of the most exposed in the house.
During the freeze itself, a thin steady drip from faucets on exterior walls keeps water moving, and open cabinet doors under sinks on cold walls let warmer room air reach the pipes. Do not let the house go unheated if you travel, and arrange for someone to walk through it. Holiday travel leaves many homes empty in exactly the weeks when hard freezes are most likely, from December into February.
No preparation is a guarantee. A drip and insulation reduce the odds, and they do not eliminate them, so it is worth knowing what you will do if a pipe does break.
| When | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before the freeze | Find and test the main shut-off valve | You can stop a leak in seconds instead of minutes |
| Before the freeze | Disconnect hoses; cover hose bibs and above-ground backflow assemblies | Exposed fixtures are common failures |
| Before the freeze | Insulate attic, garage and exterior-wall pipes | These have the least protection |
| During the freeze | Let faucets drip; open cabinet doors on exterior walls | Moving water and warmer air resist freezing |
| During the freeze | Keep the heat on; ask someone to check if you are away | A vacant, cold house is the worst case |
| During the thaw | Check ceilings, walls, the attic and the meter for leaks | Frozen pipes often leak only as they thaw |
| After a leak | Photograph damage, call your insurer, then call for water removal | Documentation supports a claim |
What happened in the February 2021 freeze?
The storm ran 14 to 18 February 2021, with temperatures reported as the coldest on record in parts of Texas since 1883, some areas near minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 500,000 insurance claims were filed statewide, about 85% residential, and insured losses exceeded $8 billion. Most early claims involved frozen and burst pipes.
Understanding that storm helps explain what a hard freeze can do here. S&P Global Market Intelligence reported the temperature lows and put insured losses above $8 billion. The Texas Department of Insurance tally, as reported by Spectrum Local News, counted more than 500,000 claims, with about 85% residential, 10% commercial, 3.5% personal auto physical damage and 0.9% other.
State Farm reported that 28,900 of the 37,790 claims it had received by 22 February came from Texas, concentrated in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, and that most were frozen and burst water pipes. A separate survey found that 16% of Texas residents said their pipes had frozen and burst. That is a survey result and not a count of houses, and we do not extend it into a number of homes.
The storm also brought multi-day outages, which is part of why it was so damaging. Without power, heating failed, and a house that cannot be heated cannot protect its pipes. Many people in the region ran short of water pressure or lost water service while pipes were broken elsewhere.
We do not have a verified count of burst pipes or damaged homes in Mansfield itself, and we are not going to claim one. Treat the February 2021 storm as a regional event that reached this area. Its useful lesson is practical: a freeze that lasts days, with no power, is a different problem from a cold night, and it is worth planning for the longer version.
What do you do when a pipe bursts or leaks on the thaw?
Close the main water valve, stay out of standing water near outlets and appliances, and turn off power to the wet area only if you can reach the panel safely. Photograph the damage, call a plumber to repair the pipe, call your insurer, and call for water removal. Do not wait for the water to dry on its own.
Speed matters because a broken pressurized line can release a large volume of water into an attic or wall in a short time. The first job is shutting the main valve, and the second is protecting yourself. Water near electrical outlets, power strips and ceiling fixtures is a shock risk. If water is coming through a light fixture or a ceiling is sagging, stay out of that room.
Water from a burst supply line is generally Category 1 (clean) at first, but it does not stay that way for long. It picks up contaminants from insulation, dust and building materials, and the longer it sits the more of the structure it reaches. In an attic, the water soaks insulation and drops through the ceiling into the rooms below, so an attic split can cause damage in several rooms at once.
Once the water is off, photograph everything before it is moved, then call your plumber and your insurer. The plumber repairs the pipe, and Texas licenses plumbers through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. The restoration crew handles what the plumber does not: extracting water, checking walls and ceilings for hidden moisture with moisture meters and thermal tools, setting air movers and dehumidifiers and re-checking until materials are dry. The burst pipe water damage and frozen pipe water damage pages describe that work in more detail.
To reach a crew at any hour, call (833) 490-5225. The line is answered 24/7, and a crew is dispatched as fast as one is available.
What should you tell your insurer after a freeze?
Call your insurer early, describe what happened and when you found it, and send photos. Standard homeowners policies often cover sudden and accidental water damage such as a burst pipe, but coverage is decided by your insurer under your policy. A restoration crew can provide moisture readings and photos for your claim.
Burst pipes are the textbook case for sudden and accidental water damage, which standard homeowners policies often cover. Whether yours does, and what your deductible is, depends on its wording. Read it or ask your agent, and do not assume.
Build a record while the damage is fresh. Take photos and video before anything is moved or thrown out, note the date and time the leak started or was found, and keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, or photograph them if they cannot be kept. Keep receipts for emergency services and for anything you buy to protect the house. The crew can give you moisture readings and photographs of the affected areas, which you can share with your insurer.
Know the limits of what a contractor may do. Texas law keeps contractors from acting as public adjusters, and a crew will not negotiate your claim or handle your deductible. If you have a claim dispute or a question about your rights, the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel help consumers.
After a freeze like February 2021, insurers and contractors are both swamped. Calling early and documenting well are the best things you control.
How long does drying take, and what about mold?
Drying a wet room typically takes about three to five days, but moisture readings decide when it is done, not the calendar. The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold, as a guideline and not a deadline. Mold can be present even if materials dried inside that window.
A burst pipe in an attic is harder to dry than the same pipe in a kitchen wall. Attic insulation soaks up water and holds it, ceiling drywall can sag and stain, and the wall cavities below stay wet long after the surface looks fine. A crew opens what has to be opened, sets equipment and checks the readings on each visit until they match dry reference points.
On mold, be realistic. Drying fast limits mold, but it does not guarantee there is none. A pipe that leaked inside a wall for several days before anyone noticed can have grown mold in a cavity that later dried completely. If you see or smell mold, the next step depends on size. Texas licenses mold assessors and mold remediators separately through TDLR, and a license is not required to remediate less than 25 contiguous square feet. At 25 contiguous square feet or more, expect two licensed professionals: an assessor who inspects and writes the remediation protocol, and a different licensed company that carries it out. A license holder may not do both on the same project.
That is useful to know before anyone offers you a mold test and removal as a bundle. Ask each company for its TDLR license number. The mold after water damage guide explains the process in detail.
| Item | Typical estimate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 (clean water) mitigation, one room or small area | $1,200 to $4,000 | Typical for a single supply-line split |
| Structural drying, one room, 3 to 5 days | $800 to $2,500 | Equipment and monitoring |
| Wet attic insulation removal and replacement | $1.50 to $4.00 per sq ft | Common after an attic line splits |
| Ceiling water damage repair, one section | $500 to $1,800 | Including texture and paint |
| After-hours, weekend or holiday emergency fee | $100 to $300 | Applies to a night or holiday call |
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn off the water when a freeze is forecast?
Shutting off the main and draining the lines is one option if a house will be empty, and some people do it. Others prefer a slow drip while someone stays home. Whichever you choose, know where the valve is and test it before the cold arrives.
My pipe is frozen but not leaking. What now?
Keep the faucet open, warm the area gently with a hair dryer or space heater placed safely away from anything flammable, and be ready to shut off the main. Never use an open flame. If you cannot reach the pipe or it will not thaw, call a plumber.
Why did my ceiling stain appear a day after the freeze ended?
Ice can hold a split closed until it melts. Water then soaks insulation first, so the ceiling shows the stain later. Check the attic and the walls as soon as temperatures rise above freezing.
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?
Many standard policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, but your insurer decides under your policy, including the deductible. Call early, photograph the damage and ask your agent what applies.
Do you repair the burst pipe?
No. A licensed plumber repairs the pipe. The crew stops what water it safely can, extracts the rest, dries the structure and cleans up.
Sources
- S&P Global Market Intelligence - Texas winter storm insured losses
- National Weather Service Fort Worth - Winter weather safety
- Texas Department of Insurance - Homeowners insurance
- U.S. EPA - A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home
This guide is general information for Tarrant County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.