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How to Get Your Houston Home Ready for a Hard Freeze

Picture of Charles D. McDade, LUTCF By   ·  12 minute read

Start in the attic, the number one place Texas pipes froze in 2021, then work your way outside and in. Here is one evening's list, the Houston rule on dripping, and a two-page checklist to print.

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The short answer

Protect the pipes in your attic, outside, and in unheated spaces like the garage, and find your water shutoff before the freeze. Cover the outdoor faucets and drain the sprinklers. On freezing nights, keep the heat on and open the cabinets under the sinks. Whether you drip depends on who sends your water. Leaving town? Leave the heat on and shut the water off at the main. Heat on, or water off and the lines drained, is the reasonable care a home policy may ask for.

Start in the attic

After the February 2021 freeze, the podcast from the Texas Department of Insurance, or TDI, said the number one place pipes froze that winter was the attic. Its advice is plain. Insulate the pipes up there. Pipe insulation is sold at home improvement stores, and you can put it on yourself.

While you're up there, check the attic insulation for thin or missing spots that need repair, a step from TDI's winter checklist. Then work through every other space your heat doesn't reach. TDI's tips say to wrap indoor and outdoor pipes in unheated areas, such as the garage, and to shut off the water to a washer that sits out there.

Pipes along exterior walls deserve a look too. In January 2026, a Houston plumber told KPRC that pipes along exterior walls are especially at risk, and that plumbing gets more brittle as a home ages.

Outside, before dark

Next, the outside of the house. Unhook the hoses and cover each outdoor faucet. TDI's podcast says to insulate outdoor faucets and keep any dripping to the indoor taps, and if you have no cover, wrap the faucet with a towel and tape.

What freezes outside, and what to do before the freeze
What freezes What to do
Outdoor faucets Unhook the hose and cover the faucet, or wrap it with a towel and tape
The sprinkler system Shut off its water near the meter or the backflow preventer, drain the parts above ground, the backflow preventer included, and insulate any exposed PVC pipe
The pool Run the pump when temperatures dip below freezing, so the water keeps moving through the pipes
A tankless water heater outside Follow the maker's freeze steps, and plan to drain it if the power goes out
Sources, TDI's winter storm tips, its winter ready checklist, and its pipes podcast, Texas A&M AgriLife's irrigation school, and Noritz, a tankless water heater maker.

Two notes on the table. Texas A&M AgriLife's irrigation school says most Texas sprinkler systems aren't designed to be blown out with air, so its simpler steps, shut off and drain, are the ones to follow. And a tankless heater's electric freeze protection only works while there is power, Noritz notes, so check your owner's manual for how to drain yours.

Inside, on freezing nights

Keep the heat on. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety says to set the thermostat to at least 55 degrees, and TDI warns that a policy may not pay for frozen pipes if you took no protective steps, such as keeping the heat on.

Then open the cabinet doors under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, so the house's warmth reaches the pipes behind them, as TDI's tips describe. If small children or pets live with you, move the cleaners out of reach first, a reminder from Austin Water's winter tips.

Austin Water adds one more step worth borrowing. Keep the garage door closed for the length of the freeze.

Pipes wrapped? Your policy is the other half. Send us your declarations page, and we'll read the water line and your deductible with you.

See What a Burst Pipe Costs

The drip question, answered for Houston

TDI's statewide tips say to let the hot and cold faucets drip or run before bed, and to follow local water-use limits. In Houston, that second half decides it, because the right answer depends on who sends your water.

The City of Houston asks its customers not to drip. Its system runs on ground storage tanks and pumps, with no water towers to hold the pressure. Houston Public Works has warned that dripping across the city can stress the pumps and lead to a boil water notice.

That happened in February 2021. Generators froze, pipes burst, and taps dripped across the city. Pressure fell below 20 pounds per square inch, the point that makes a boil water notice mandatory, and the City issued one on February 17.

Your water provider decides
Your water comes from On a freezing night
The City of Houston Don't drip. Wrap and cover the pipes, and if you leave town, shut the water off and drain the lines
A MUD or water district Follow your district's notice. Some ask customers to let the faucets drip before bed
The City of Katy Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by pipes that could freeze
Sources, Houston Public Works' statements as reported by KPRC on January 21, 2026, and FOX 26 on February 15, 2021, the winter storm tips of one Harris County water district, January 22, 2026, and the City of Katy as quoted by KPRC.Not sure which one you have? Your water bill names your provider.

Find your water shutoff tonight

If a pipe breaks, the first job is stopping the water, and the time to learn how is before the freeze. Look in two places. TDI's winter checklist says the valve is usually under a metal lid near the street, between your house and the larger manhole cover. One Harris County water district tells its customers their private cutoff valve usually sits on the side of the home below a faucet, or inside the garage.

Test it while nothing is wrong. TDI says to make sure the valve isn't stuck, and if it is, to have a plumber replace it. Houston Public Works says the valve turns clockwise to close, and Austin Water notes that the box at the street may need a water meter key to open, so keep one with your tools.

Once the valve is closed, open the indoor faucets and the outdoor hose faucets to drain the lines, as TDI's podcast describes, so a frozen pipe has no water left to spill. Then show everyone at home where the valve is and how it turns. If a pipe breaks anyway, our post on what to do first when a pipe bursts starts from the closed valve.

If you leave town during a freeze

TDI's advice for a trip during a freeze comes down to two steps. Shut off the water at the shutoff valve, and leave the heat on. Houston Public Works gives its customers the same advice when they leave, turn off the water and drain the pipes. Set the thermostat at 55 degrees or warmer, and ask a neighbor to check on the house while you're gone.

What your policy asks

TDI's bulletin after the 2021 freeze explains that home and renters policies may cover a freezing loss if the policyholder took reasonable care to maintain heat, or to shut off the water supply and drain the pipes. Its winter tips add that a policy may not pay for frozen pipes if you took no steps to protect them.

Every claim turns on its own facts and its own contract. Our post on whether home insurance covers frozen pipes reads the condition line by line.

Texas Department of Insurance, Bulletin B-0010-21, March 9, 2021, and its winter storm tips, updated April 29, 2025.

If a pipe breaks anyway

Turn the water off at the main first. TDI says that shutting off the water when pipes freeze keeps a leak from flooding the house once they thaw.

Then take photos and video of the damage before you clean up. TDI's claim steps say to photograph all the damage, do what you need to keep it from getting worse, keep receipts for every expense, and file the claim as soon as you can. Call your carrier's claim line, then call us at 281.378.5002.

Which policy answers

Flood insurance doesn't cover a burst pipe, TDI notes, so your home policy is the one to read. A burst pipe usually falls under your all other perils deductible, which your declarations page shows in dollars.

Texas Department of Insurance, winter storm tips, updated April 29, 2025.

Already a client? Schedule a Service Meeting, and we'll coordinate the claim with you.

Keep your people warm and safe

Check on anyone near you who lives alone, before the cold and during it. If someone at home depends on powered medical equipment, register with CenterPoint as a critical care or chronic condition customer, and with STEAR, the state's free emergency registry, at 2-1-1. Neither one guarantees power or help, so plan a backup. Fill clean jugs with drinking water too, at least a gallon per person per day for several days, as Ready.gov suggests, in case a boil water notice follows.

The 2021 count

Carbon monoxide caused 19 of the 246 deaths the state tied to the February 2021 storm, from portable generators, grills, space heaters, vehicles run in closed spaces, and ice blocking the vents of gas heaters.

Texas Department of State Health Services, final report on storm deaths, December 31, 2021.

TDI's rules for a generator and a space heater are on the checklist below, and two more matter. Have a qualified electrician make any connection to the house wiring, and put carbon monoxide alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas, as the CPSC advises, testing them monthly.

Our post on what home insurance covers after a Texas power outage walks through food spoilage and the rest of the policy side.

The freeze checklist

One evening, one list. Work through it before the first hard freeze, then keep it on the fridge. The printable carries the same lines on two pages.

Print the Freeze Checklist

Free, two pages, no email needed.

  • Before the freeze

    The house

    • Wrap indoor and outdoor pipes in unheated spaces, like the attic and the garage.
    • Unhook hoses and wrap the outdoor faucets.
    • Drain and turn off the lawn sprinklers.
    • If the washer sits in an unheated garage, turn off its water.
    • Find the main water shutoff and the key that turns it. Show everyone at home.
    • On freezing nights, keep the heat on and open the cabinets under the sinks.
  • Before you drive

    The car

    • Check the battery, the brakes, the wipers, and the tire pressure and tread.
    • Keep blankets, water, a flashlight, a phone charger, and jumper cables in the car.
    • If you can wait out the ice, wait.
    • Have to drive? Check DriveTexas.org, and route around bridges, ramps, and overpasses.
    • On ice, leave three times the room to stop. If you get stuck, stay in the car.
  • On freezing nights

    The drip question

    • Your water provider decides. The City of Houston asks its customers not to drip. If a MUD or water district serves you, follow its notice, which may ask you to drip. Your water bill tells you which one you have.
  • If you travel

    Leaving town

    • Leave the heat on.
    • Shut off the main, and drain the lines.
    • Ask a neighbor to check on the house.
    • One condition to know. A policy might not pay for frozen pipes if you took no steps to protect them.
  • In the first hour

    If a pipe breaks

    • Turn the water off at the main.
    • Take photos and video before you clean up.
    • Stop the damage you safely can, and keep every receipt.
    • Call your carrier's claim line, then call us at 281.378.5002.
  • Before the cold

    Your people

    • Check on neighbors who live alone, before the cold and during it.
    • Powered medical equipment at home? Register with CenterPoint and with STEAR at 2-1-1.
    • Plan a backup for that equipment. Neither registry guarantees power.
    • Charge your phones and a backup battery.
  • If the outage runs long

    Food and water

    • Keep the fridge and freezer closed. A closed fridge keeps food cold about 4 hours, and a full freezer about 48.
    • Set jugs of clean water outside to freeze for your coolers. Keep the food itself inside.
    • Fill clean jugs with drinking water, in case a boil water notice follows.
  • If the power goes out

    Heat and power, safely

    • Run a generator outside only, at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents.
    • Never run it in the garage, even with the door open. Keep kids and pets clear of it.
    • Keep spare oil and a filter. Follow the manual for rest, and let it cool before you refuel.
    • Keep space heaters three feet from anything that can burn, and off at bedtime.
    • Test your carbon monoxide alarms. Never run a car in the garage or bring a grill inside.
  • On paper and in your phone

    Your numbers

    • Carrier claim line
    • Policy number
    • All other perils deductible In dollars, the check for a burst pipe
    • Plumber
    • Power outage line Most of Houston is on CenterPoint
    • Water provider City of Houston or a MUD, on your water bill
    • McDade Insurance Call 281.378.5002

Sources, TDI's winter storm, winter driving, generator, and space heater tips, USDA on food in an outage, Houston Public Works and one Harris County water district on dripping, CenterPoint, and the state's STEAR registry, each listed below.

Questions readers ask next

Should I drip my faucets in Houston?

It depends on who sends your water. The City of Houston asks its customers not to drip, because its system runs on ground storage tanks and pumps, and dripping across the city can stress the pumps and drop the pressure. In February 2021, low pressure led to a citywide boil water notice. If a MUD or water district serves you, follow its notice, which may ask you to drip. Your water bill names your provider. Either way, wrap the pipes in unheated spaces and cover the outdoor faucets.

Where is my water shutoff, and how do I close it?

Look near the street first. TDI says the valve is usually under a metal lid between your house and the larger manhole cover, and your home may also have a private cutoff on the side of the house below a faucet, or in the garage. Houston Public Works says the valve turns clockwise to close. The box at the street may need a water meter key. Test the valve before the freeze, and if it's stuck, have a plumber replace it.

Do I need to cover my outdoor faucets?

Yes, before the freeze. Unhook the hose first, then cover each outdoor faucet. TDI's podcast says to insulate outdoor faucets and keep any dripping to the indoor taps, and if you have no cover, wrap the faucet with a towel and tape. Wrap any exposed outdoor pipes too, and drain and turn off the sprinkler system, as TDI's winter tips advise.

What do I do with my sprinkler system before a freeze?

Turn it off and drain it. TDI's winter tips say to drain and turn off the lawn sprinkler system. Texas A&M AgriLife's irrigation school says to shut off the system's water near the meter or the backflow preventer, drain the parts above ground, the backflow preventer included, and insulate any exposed PVC pipe. It also says most Texas systems aren't designed to be blown out with air.

What should I set the heat to if we travel?

Leave the heat on, at 55 degrees or warmer. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety says to set the thermostat to at least 55 degrees, and TDI says that if you'll be away during a freeze, leave the heat on and shut off the water at the shutoff valve. Drain the lines once the water is off, and ask a neighbor to check on the house. TDI warns a policy may not pay for frozen pipes if you took no steps to protect them.

Keep going

Sources worth opening

The purpose is to help the reader ask better questions before claim time.

General insurance education. For plumbing, electrical, or medical questions, ask a licensed professional, and follow your water provider, your utility, and local officials. Carrier rules, eligibility, underwriting, policy language, and the final contract control. Figures carry the dates shown.

Read your policy before the cold

One evening for the house. One short read for the policy.

  1. Send your declarations page. Use the button below, or email it to contact@mcdadeins.com.
  2. We read it with you. A licensed Texas agent reads the water line, your all other perils deductible in dollars, and loss of use.
  3. You get a straight answer. Stay, adjust, or switch, with the reason in writing.

We work with 50+ top Texas carriers we know well. 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.

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