Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Frozen Pipes? What Lehi Homeowners Should Know Before Winter

A standard homeowners policy covers the water damage when a pipe freezes and bursts suddenly: the soaked drywall, ruined flooring and damaged belongings, minus your deductible. It usually won’t pay to replace the pipe itself. And it may pay nothing if your insurer decides the house was left without heat or the leak had been dripping for weeks.

Lehi homeowners face this risk every winter. January nights average 24°F in nearby Pleasant Grove and Provo, based on NOAA climate normals, and State Farm says pipes are most at risk once temperatures drop below 20°F. A night only has to run 4 degrees colder than average to hit 20°F.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover a Pipe That Freezes and Bursts?

Homeowners’ policies cover damage from a “sudden and accidental” discharge of water from your plumbing, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

The catch is the freezing clause. The standard HO-3 homeowners form excludes freeze damage to your plumbing unless you used reasonable care to keep heat in the building, or shut off the water supply and drained the system. The NAIC warns that if your insurer decides you neglected your plumbing and didn’t take steps to prevent freezing, the damage may not be covered.

No insurance rule sets an exact temperature. The American Red Cross and State Farm both recommend keeping the heat at 55°F or higher when you’re away, so use that as your floor.

What Does a Policy Cover After a Frozen Pipe Bursts?

Terms vary by policy, but here is the usual split:

Your deductible comes out of every payment. Triple-I, citing Verisk data, puts the average water damage and freezing claim at $15,400 for 2019 to 2023. State Farm says its frozen pipe claims averaged more than $30,000 from January 2024 through June 2025.

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Why Do Frozen Pipe Claims Get Denied?

Freezes produce expensive claims even where they’re rare. After the February 2021 winter storm in Texas, policyholders filed more than 500,000 insurance claims with about $10.3 billion in losses, most of them for homes, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. Denied claims often trace back to one of three problems.

The Heat Was Off or No One Checked the House

A furnace that quits during a holiday trip, a thermostat turned down to save on the gas bill, or a vacant rental with the utilities shut off can all lead an insurer to argue you didn’t use reasonable care. If the house will sit empty for weeks, shut off the main valve and drain the lines before you go.

The Water Leaked Slowly

Policies usually won’t cover damage from gradual leaks or seepage, including the mold that follows, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. If water seeps behind a finished basement wall for weeks before anyone notices, the insurer may treat it as a gradual leak, even if a freeze started it.

The Water Came From Outside or Backed Up

Triple-I notes that standard policies cover water that comes from above, like a burst pipe, but not flooding from outside or water that backs up through a sewer or drain. Those need a flood policy and a water backup endorsement.

How Can Lehi Homeowners Prevent Frozen Pipes This Winter?

Start with the city’s irrigation deadline, then work through these steps, most of them from the American Red Cross:

• Shut off your pressurized irrigation: Lehi City asks PI users to turn off their connections by October 15 each year. If yours is still on, shut it off and have the sprinkler lines blown out before the first hard freeze.
• Disconnect garden hoses: Drain and store them, close the inside valve that feeds each outdoor spigot, and open the spigot so it drains.
• Insulate exposed pipes in the garage, unfinished basement, crawl space and attic with foam pipe sleeves or heat tape.
• Keep the thermostat at the same setting day and night during cold snaps, and at 55°F or higher when you travel.
• Open cabinet doors under the kitchen and bathroom sinks so warm air reaches the pipes.
• Let cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes on the coldest nights.
• Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through the garage.
• Find your main water shutoff valve and show everyone in the house where it is.
• Ask about leak sensors or automatic shutoff valves: Some insurers, including Amica, offer home insurance discounts for these devices, though discounts vary by state.

What Should You Do in the First Hour After a Pipe Bursts?

1. Shut off the main water valve: Every minute of flowing water adds to the damage.
2. Stay safe around electricity: If water is near outlets, turn off that circuit at the breaker, but only if you can reach the panel without stepping in water.
3. Document everything: Take photos and video of the damage, the broken pipe and your thermostat setting before you clean up.
4. Protect the house from more damage: Move furniture and valuables off wet floors and start drying. Standard policies require you to protect the property from further damage, and insurers can deny a claim when you don’t. The EPA says wet materials should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold.
5. Call a plumber and a water cleanup company: Keep every receipt, since your policy asks for a record of repair costs.
6. Report the claim to your insurer or agent right away: Policies require prompt notice. Photograph damaged items before you throw anything away.

How Can an Insurance Agent Help Before the First Freeze?

Read your policy before the first freeze, while you can still change it. A review with your agent should answer five questions:

• What is my deductible for water damage?
• Do I have water backup coverage?
• How much will my policy pay for a hotel or rental if I can’t live at home?
• Are my belongings covered at replacement cost or actual cash value?
• Can I get a discount for a leak sensor or automatic shutoff valve?

A policy is a contract, and a condition like the freezing clause is easy to misread in a second language. About one in six Utah County residents age 5 and up speaks a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If you or your parents would rather review a policy in Spanish, ask for a Spanish-speaking agent. Bilingual agencies such as Paga Menos Insurance in Austin, Texas, explain every coverage in Spanish so families know what their policy covers before they need to file a claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does homeowners insurance cover frozen pipes if I’m away for the holidays?

Usually, as long as you used reasonable care: heat at 55°F or higher, or the water shut off and the lines drained. Ask a neighbor to check the house during longer trips in case the furnace fails.

Does insurance pay to replace the burst pipe?

Most policies pay for the water damage and for opening walls or floors to reach the pipe, but not for the pipe itself. Policy forms differ, so ask your agent how yours handles it.

Will a frozen pipe claim raise my premium?

It can. The Utah Insurance Department lists claims history as one of the factors insurers use to set home premiums, and claims generally stay on your CLUE insurance history report for up to seven years. If the damage is close to your deductible, get a repair estimate before you file.

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Does renters or condo insurance cover frozen pipes?

Renters insurance covers your belongings and extra living costs after a covered burst pipe, while the landlord’s policy covers the building. If you own a townhome or condo, your HOA’s master policy covers part of the building and your own policy covers the rest, so check where one ends and the other begins before winter.