Frozen Pipe Risk Calculator
Check your pipe-freeze risk before the next North Texas cold snap.
Estimates use typical industry ranges and published methods. They are not a quote. An on-site moisture inspection sets the actual scope.
Why DFW pipes are vulnerable
Builders in North Texas often route supply lines through attics and exterior walls because hard freezes are infrequent. When a multi-day arctic blast hits, as it did across Texas in February 2021, those pipes sit in spaces near outdoor temperature. Water expands as it freezes, pressure builds between the ice blockage and the closed faucet, and the pipe splits — often somewhere other than where the ice formed.
Before a freeze
- Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor hose bibs with insulated covers.
- Insulate exposed pipes in the attic, garage and crawl spaces with foam sleeves.
- Let faucets on exterior walls drip, both hot and cold. Moving water is far less likely to freeze, and an open faucet relieves pressure.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Keep the thermostat at 55°F or higher, day and night, even if you leave town.
- Find your main shutoff and make sure it turns. Buy a meter key if your shutoff is in the street box.
- Drain and shut off irrigation backflow preventers as recommended by your sprinkler installer.
If a pipe is frozen
- Open the faucet it feeds so melting water has somewhere to go.
- Warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer, heat tape or warm towels, starting near the faucet and working back.
- Never use an open flame or torch.
- If you can't find or reach the frozen section, call a plumber.
When it bursts
Shut off the main immediately, then open low faucets to drain the system. Cut power to wet areas. Freeze bursts often happen in ceilings and walls, so watch for bulging drywall. Because freeze events hit thousands of homes at once, crews get booked fast. Call early, and see our burst pipe cleanup page for what comes next.