Frozen pipes in Houston: prepare, respond and repair

What 2021 taught Houston

Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 showed how vulnerable Houston plumbing is to a long hard freeze. In a March 2021 briefing, Houston Public Works estimated that about 25% of its customers had a leak on their property. About 50,000 single-family accounts showed either no flow or constant flow, which points to a leak, and the department took more than 11,000 water service calls. Many Houston homes have supply lines in attics, exterior walls and unheated garages, which is exactly where pipes freeze.

Before a freeze

The Texas Department of Insurance recommends:

• Cover outdoor faucets, exposed pipes, and pipes in unheated attics and garages.
• Drip both hot and cold faucets overnight. Moving water is less likely to freeze.
• Find your shutoff. TDI says the outdoor valve is “usually in an underground space under a cover near the street.” Make sure you can open the lid and turn the valve.
• Drain sprinkler lines that run into the house.

Also worth doing: disconnect garden hoses, and open sink cabinets on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes. Houston Public Works also warns that grease-related sewer overflows double in cold weather, so keep grease out of drains during a freeze.

If a pipe freezes or bursts

1. Frozen but not leaking? Keep the faucet open. Warm the area gently with warm air. Never use an open flame.
2. Burst or leaking? Close your main shutoff if you can reach it safely. Stay clear of water near outlets, cords or the electrical panel.
3. Call a licensed plumber. After a widespread freeze, Texas’s plumbing board reminds homeowners to hire licensed plumbers and to check licenses in the state lookup. Unlicensed repair crews tend to show up after big storms.
4. Document everything with photos and receipts for your insurer and the city.

Repairs after a freeze: Houston’s rules

The Houston Permitting Center’s storm-repair notice says pipe repairs need a permit and inspection. The permit must be purchased by a responsible master plumber registered with the City of Houston. The only plumbing exemption it lists is replacing kitchen or bathroom faucets. A plumber who offers to skip the permit on a pipe repair is offering to break the city code.

Getting money back on the water bill

The City of Houston credits water lost to leaks caused by freezing:

• 100% of the lost water if repaired within 30 days
• 75% within 60 days
• 50% after that

Submit the request with a plumber’s statement or bill, or a parts receipt, showing the date, address, type of repair and cost. Leaks from faucets, hoses, toilets or worn fixtures don’t qualify. After Uri, single-family customers received an automatic 100% storm adjustment. Don’t count on that for future storms.

Long-term fixes worth discussing

If your home froze once, ask a plumber whether exposed attic or exterior-wall lines can be insulated or rerouted. Also ask whether your shutoff valves work, and whether a house-side shutoff should be added so you don’t have to rely on the meter box. Any of those changes needs a permit in Houston.