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Most Texas home policies pay for the water damage when a frozen pipe bursts. Here is the one condition they ask of you first, what they pay, and what a claim does to your record.
The short answer
Yes, most Texas home policies cover the water damage from a pipe that freezes and bursts, when you took reasonable care before the freeze. The Texas Department of Insurance says a policy might not pay for frozen pipes if you took no steps to protect them. Reasonable care means the heat kept on, or the water shut off and the pipes drained. Your all other perils deductible applies, and flood insurance doesn't pay for a burst pipe.
What I did when my heat went out
People around Houston still call it the snowpocalypse. In February 2021 the power went out at my house in Humble, and it was a hard stretch to manage.
So I did my due diligence. I did all I could to keep some heat going, I checked that the temperature inside wasn't dropping too far, and I ran water through the pipes to keep them from freezing.
Nobody could promise heat that February, and the Texas Department of Insurance later told insurers to weigh exactly that. Here is what your policy asks before a freeze, what it pays when a pipe breaks anyway, and what a claim does to your record.
The one condition, reasonable care
The Texas Department of Insurance, or TDI, states the condition in one sentence. Home and renters policies might not pay for damages caused by frozen pipes if you didn't take steps to protect your pipes, such as keeping the heater on in your house.
Its bulletin after the 2021 freeze gives the policy wording behind that sentence. A policy may cover loss caused by freezing if the policyholder took reasonable care to maintain heat, or to shut off the water supply and drain the pipes. Either half meets the condition, so know both.
Keep the heat on
A warm house protects the pipes inside it. TDI's own example of a protective step is keeping the heater on in your house.
Or shut off the water and drain the pipes
With the water off at the shutoff valve and the pipes drained, a freeze has far less to work with. When the power is out, this half is still in your hands.
Forms differ on the details, such as when the condition applies and how an empty house is treated. Your own form decides, and it is one of the lines we read with you.
Leaving town in winter
If you leave your house before a freeze, TDI says to turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave your heat on. A vacant house is a separate matter. TDI's home insurance guide says most companies stop your coverage if your house is vacant for 60 days or more, usually keeping your liability coverage in place, so talk to your company before a long absence.
TDI's winter storm tips, updated April 29, 2025, and its home insurance guide, updated June 1, 2026.
Our freeze checklist shows how to do both halves, and whether your water provider wants you to drip.
When the power is out and the heat is gone
In February 2021 the heat failed in homes across Texas, because a furnace needs power. On March 9, 2021, TDI sent a bulletin to the insurers it regulates. It said a decision on whether a policyholder took reasonable actions to prevent a loss must be based on the unique circumstances of the claim, and it asked insurers to weigh five things.
Five things TDI asked insurers to weigh after the 2021 freeze
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The outages
The frequency and length of the power outages kept many policyholders from maintaining heat, and that was beyond their control.
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What people were told
Policyholders may have been told the outages would be short and intermittent, which made shutting off the water seem less necessary.
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Renters
Renters may not have access to water mains, or any control over the power or water supplied to their unit.
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Mixed advice
Differing advice from a variety of sources may have created confusion about the best way to care for pipes in freezing weather.
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Ice
Icy conditions may have made it risky to shut off the water, or limited access to the water main.
The bulletin spoke to that one freeze. It shows how TDI weighs the condition, and each new claim still turns on its own facts.
If your heat goes out, work the other half of the condition when it is safe to. TDI says that if your pipes freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve, which keeps broken pipes from leaking into your house after they thaw. Then take a photo of the dark thermostat and the closed valve. Ten seconds of proof shows the care you took.
Our power outage post covers the food, the surge when the power returns, and the generator.
Freeze in the forecast? Send us your declarations page, and we'll show you the freeze wording, the water line, and your deductible in dollars.
Know If My Pipes Are CoveredWhat the policy pays when a pipe bursts
TDI says most home and renters policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, and a burst pipe is its first example. That coverage answers the damage the water does. What a policy pays for the plumbing itself, and where it stops, depends on the form.
| The line | What to expect |
|---|---|
| The water damage to the house | Covered on most home policies as sudden and accidental water damage, TDI says |
| The broken pipe, and opening a wall to reach it | Your form decides. Ask to see the line before a freeze |
| A slow leak found weeks later | Usually yours. TDI says most policies don't cover gradual leaks or seepage |
| Mold cleanup and testing | Often left out. TDI says most policies don't include it once a damaged item is removed, and a company may let you add it |
| A renter's furniture and clothes | The renter's own policy. TDI says the owner's policy won't cover them |
| A place to stay during repairs | Loss of use, when covered damage makes the home unlivable |
| A claim on a flood policy | Nothing. TDI says flood insurance doesn't pay for burst pipes |
Ask three questions about the water line, what isn't covered at all, what is capped, and what an endorsement can add back. Some policies cap water damage at a set dollar amount, so check whether a water limit on your declarations page caps a burst pipe. Our guide to who pays for water damage in Houston shows where that limit sits, and our post on whether insurance pays for a hotel in a winter storm covers loss of use.
Your deductible, in dollars
A burst pipe falls under your all other perils deductible, the one for covered losses other than wind, hail, and named storms. It is separate from your wind and hail deductible. TDI says a deductible may be a dollar amount or a percentage, and that with a percentage you should know what it comes to in dollars.
The company subtracts the deductible from the damage before it pays. When the repair costs less than the deductible, the policy pays nothing. Here is the February 2021 freeze in TDI's own count.
- 500,196claims reported across Texas after the February 2021 freeze
- 110,342of those claims came from Harris County, the most of any Texas county
- 10.3 billiondollars insurers expected to pay once every claim closed
How home claims from the 2021 freeze had closed by July 31, 2021
A claim can close with no payment when the repair costs less than the deductible, or when the policy doesn't cover the loss. So write your deductible down in dollars before the freeze. Our post on raising your home insurance deductible walks through the math, and our wind and hail deductible post explains the other one.
What a freeze claim does to your record
A claim you file can show on your claim history even when it pays nothing. TDI says most companies use the CLUE report to learn that history, that it covers the last seven years, and that a company can report to it only when you filed a claim.
Texas law counts claims too. Insurance Code Section 551.107 sets what an insurer may do with the count, and what the count leaves out.
What the count allows
A premium surcharge at renewal, after two or more claims in the preceding three policy years.
A nonrenewal, after three or more claims in any three-year period, once the insurer has warned you after the second.
What the count leaves out
A claim from a loss caused by natural causes.
A claim that was filed and wasn't paid or payable under the policy.
A claim an insurer can't use under Section 544.353, a separate section of the code.
Is a pipe burst by a freeze a natural cause? Section 551.107 doesn't spell that out. TDI's page on nonrenewal speaks of nonweather-related claims, and it lists broken pipes among nonweather events. So ask your carrier how it would classify a freeze claim before you file.
The section covers surcharges and nonrenewals. A lost discount sits outside its definition of a surcharge, and a new company can still read your CLUE report. TDI's own reminder is that filing small claims may affect how much you pay for insurance later.
A real loss is what the policy is for. When the damage sits close to your deductible, call us before you file, and we'll read the wording and the math with you. The decision stays yours.
Questions homeowners ask before a freeze
Does insurance pay if my pipes burst while the power was out?
It can, and the outage is part of the picture. After the 2021 freeze, TDI told insurers that whether a policyholder took reasonable actions to prevent a loss must be based on the unique circumstances of the claim, and that the outages kept many policyholders from maintaining heat. If your heat goes out, turn off the water at the shutoff valve when you can do it safely.
Is the broken pipe covered, or only the water damage?
The water damage is the part most policies cover. TDI says most home and renters policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, and a burst pipe is its first example. Whether your policy also pays to replace the pipe, or to open a wall to reach it, depends on your form. Ask to see that line before a freeze.
What if the house froze while we were out of town?
The steps you took before you left count. TDI says that if you leave your house before a freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave your heat on. A vacant house is a separate matter. TDI's home insurance guide says most companies stop your coverage if your house is vacant for 60 days or more, so talk to your company before a long absence.
Will a frozen pipe claim count against me in Texas?
It can, and the count depends on the cause. A filed claim can show on your claim history either way. Texas Insurance Code Section 551.107 leaves a claim from a loss caused by natural causes, and a claim that wasn't paid, out of the count behind a surcharge or a nonrenewal. TDI's consumer pages list broken pipes among nonweather events, so ask your carrier how it would classify a freeze claim before you file.
Does flood insurance cover a burst pipe?
No. TDI says flood insurance doesn't pay for damage caused by burst pipes. Home and renters policies cover leaks that happen inside your home, so a burst pipe belongs to the home or renters policy. In TDI's report on the 2021 freeze, 28 flood claims were reported statewide, with nothing paid as of July 31, 2021.
What about a slab leak after a freeze?
That depends on the cause and on a foundation endorsement. TDI's home insurance guide lists damage to foundations or slabs among the coverages a company lets you add by endorsement. Ask a plumber to put the cause in writing, since TDI says most policies cover sudden and accidental water damage and usually won't cover a gradual leak.
Sources worth opening
- The Texas Department of Insurance, its winter storm tips (updated April 29, 2025), for what a policy might not pay, burst pipes and flood insurance, leaving town, and the shutoff valve, and its Bulletin B-0010-21 (March 9, 2021), for reasonable care and the five things it asked insurers to weigh
- TDI's page When are water damage and mold covered by insurance? (updated April 24, 2025), for sudden and accidental water damage, gradual leaks, and mold, and its post on water damage from burst pipes, for renters and leaks inside the home
- TDI's Home insurance guide (updated June 1, 2026), for vacant houses, endorsements, and CLUE reports, its page What to know about deductibles (updated October 14, 2024), and its page Was your home insurance canceled or not renewed? (updated January 15, 2026), for nonweather claims
- TDI's report Insured Losses Resulting from the February 2021 Texas Winter Weather Event (December 27, 2021, data as of July 31, 2021), for the claim counts, Harris County, the expected losses, the flood claims, and how claims closed
- Texas Insurance Code Section 551.107, read on Texas Public Law, for the claim count behind a surcharge or a nonrenewal
The purpose is to help the reader ask better questions before claim time.
General insurance education. For plumbing work, use a licensed plumber, and for legal questions, ask a licensed attorney. In a freeze, follow local officials and your water provider. Carrier rules, eligibility, underwriting, policy language, and the final contract control. Figures carry the dates shown.
Know what your policy asks before the next freeze
The condition is easy to meet on a calm night. Read your policy before the cold arrives.
- Send your declarations page. Use the button below, or email it to contact@mcdadeins.com.
- We read it with you. A licensed Texas agent reads the freeze wording, the water line, and your all other perils deductible in dollars.
- You get a straight answer. Stay, adjust, or switch, with the reason in writing.
About 40 percent of the time we tell homeowners to stay with their current carrier, and sometimes even with their current agent, because that is the right answer for the family.
We work with 50+ top Texas carriers we know well. Local broker. National infrastructure. Carrier availability and underwriting vary by risk and location. Prefer to talk it through? Talk to a Broker, or call 281.378.5002. We translate the insurance contract before claim time.
The review is free. The decision is yours. No broker fees for personal lines clients.
Already a client with a freeze question? Schedule a Service Meeting.
