What Most People Get Wrong About This
The usual line: water damage from a burst pipe is covered, period. It's the classic homeowners claim, so there's nothing to worry about.
What's actually true: the burst is only half the story. The standard homeowners form many policies are built on excludes damage caused by freezing unless you used reasonable care to keep the heat on, or to shut off the water and drain the system. The pipe can burst the same way in two houses, and the claims can end differently because one furnace was running and the other wasn't. And if the water came up through a floor drain instead of out of a supply line, it's usually a different coverage altogether.
What to do instead: read the word "freezing" in your own policy before the first cold snap, and know which situations would put you outside it: a trip south, an empty rental, a cabin you closed for the season.
It's January, it's twenty below overnight, and you hear water where there shouldn't be any. A frozen pipe is a classic winter claim, and one of the most misunderstood. Here's what a typical homeowners policy covers when a pipe bursts, the heat and vacancy rules that decide close calls, why sewer backup and flood are separate, and what to do in the first hour.
- Average water and freezing claim
- $15,400ISO data 2019–2023, via III
- Heat while you're away
- 55°F or higherAmerican Red Cross guidance
- Vacancy line in the HO-3 form
- 60 daysISO HO 00 03 (vandalism, glass)
- Sewer backup
- SeparateEndorsement needed, per MN Commerce
Does home insurance cover frozen pipes that burst?
Short answerUsually yes: a standard HO-3 policy typically pays for sudden water damage from a burst pipe, as long as you used reasonable care to keep the home heated or drained the plumbing.
Homeowners policies are written to cover sudden and accidental losses, and a pipe that splits in a cold snap is about as sudden as it gets. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners puts it plainly in a February 2024 consumer article: insurance policies often cover the resulting water damage if frozen pipes burst, but coverage depends on whether you took reasonable steps to keep them from freezing. The Insurance Information Institute says the same: standard homeowners policies cover most damage that results from a freeze, including burst pipes.
On a typical HO-3, a covered burst can reach several parts of your policy at once:
The house itself
Soaked drywall, flooring, ceilings, cabinets and insulation, plus the cost of opening a wall to reach the break when that's needed for the repair.
Your belongings
Furniture, rugs, electronics and the boxes in the basement, subject to the same heat-or-drain condition in the policy's freezing wording.
Loss of use
Extra living costs, like a hotel, if the house can't be lived in during drying and repairs. Keep every receipt.
The broken pipe itself
Whether the cracked section is part of the claim depends on why it failed and your carrier's form. More on that below.
Your deductible comes off the top. The Insurance Information Institute, using ISO data for 2019 through 2023, puts the average water damage and freezing claim at about $15,400, and the same 2019–2023 table shows about 1.5 water and freezing claims a year for every 100 insured homes. Water travels, and a burst on the main floor can end up in the basement ceiling below it. If you want the full picture of how the parts of a policy fit together, our overview of Minnesota homeowners coverage walks through each part.
What is the freezing exclusion, and how do you stay on the right side of it?
Short answerMost homeowners forms exclude freeze damage unless you used reasonable care to keep the heat on or to shut off the water and drain the system, so an unheated or empty house is where claims get hard.
Here is the actual wording from the ISO Homeowners 3 Special Form (HO 00 03 05 11), the standard form many carriers' policies are modeled on. It excludes freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or sprinkler system or a household appliance, and the water that leaks out because of it, but it says the exclusion "does not apply if you have used reasonable care to: (a) Maintain heat in the building; or (b) Shut off the water supply and drain all systems and appliances of water." You can read it in the copy of the form posted by Maine's Bureau of Insurance. Your carrier's own form may word it differently, so look for the heading "freezing" in your policy and read that paragraph.
In plain English: if the furnace was running and the pipe froze anyway inside an exterior wall during a polar-vortex week, you're generally in good shape. If the furnace quit while you were away and nobody checked on the house, the insurer will ask what "reasonable care" looked like. The NAIC notes that insurers may deny claims when they find a homeowner neglected the plumbing, and that policies generally require you to keep the home at a minimum temperature, or to shut off the water supply if the home is vacant.
Snowbirds, cabins and empty houses
Long absences are where most of the risk lives, for two reasons. First, a leak that runs for two weeks does far more damage than one caught in two hours. Second, many policies have vacancy language. The ISO HO-3 drops vandalism and glass-breakage coverage once a dwelling has been vacant for more than 60 consecutive days, and the standard fire policy form written into Minn. Stat. 65A.01, subd. 3, Minnesota's baseline for fire coverage, says the insurer isn't liable for loss while the premises "are vacant or unoccupied beyond a period of 60 consecutive days," unless otherwise provided in writing. Carriers' own forms vary on how they treat vacancy and unoccupancy, which is exactly why you call before you go.
Cabins add a wrinkle. The Minnesota Department of Commerce notes that secondary-home policies may carry extra stipulations because you're only there part of the year, are often written on a named-perils basis, and that water damage can be worse when no one is home.
| Before you leave for the winter | Protects your claim | Puts it at risk |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Thermostat left at 55°F or higher, with someone checking the house | Heat turned down to "save money" or off entirely |
| Water | Main shut off and lines drained, ideally by a plumber | Water left on in an empty house |
| Your insurer | Told about the absence and asked about vacancy rules | Assumed it doesn't matter |
| The cabin | Professionally winterized, with the policy reviewed each fall | Closed up the same way as last year, without checking the policy |
Does insurance pay to fix the pipe itself, or just the water damage?
Short answerThe water damage is the core of the claim; whether the cracked pipe itself is included depends on why it failed and on your carrier's form.
A lot of articles say flatly that the pipe is never covered. The standard form is more nuanced than that. When a pipe fails from wear and tear, deterioration, rust or corrosion, the ISO HO-3 pays for the water damage that results, including the cost to tear out and replace part of the building when that's necessary to repair the system, but says "we do not cover loss to the system or appliance from which this water or steam escaped." That's a maintenance item. When freezing is the cause and you kept the heat on, though, the freezing exclusion doesn't apply, so on a common reading of that form the frozen section of pipe can be part of the covered loss. Carriers use their own forms, and some handle this differently, so ask your adjuster how your policy treats it.
Slow leaks are a different story
A pipe that has been weeping inside a wall since Thanksgiving isn't a sudden loss. Homeowners policies typically exclude wear and tear, deterioration and corrosion, and many carrier forms also exclude water that seeps or leaks repeatedly over time. If the drywall has been soft for weeks, expect questions. A drip you notice in December is worth a plumber in December.
Mold has its own limits
The ISO HO-3 excludes mold, fungus and wet rot, with a narrow exception for mold hidden inside walls, ceilings or floors that results from an accidental discharge of water. Many carriers also cap mold remediation at a set dollar amount, or add or remove it by endorsement, so check your declarations page for a mold or fungi limit. The practical point is speed: the faster you dry the space, the less mold becomes part of the conversation at all.
Why isn't sewer backup or flood part of a burst-pipe claim?
Short answerBecause they're different perils: a standard homeowners policy excludes water that backs up through drains or rises from flooding, so each needs its own endorsement or policy.
All three leave water on your basement floor, but the insurance treats them very differently. The Minnesota Department of Commerce says it clearly on its sewer backup page: water damage caused by a broken pipe in the house would be covered, but neither flood insurance nor a typical homeowners policy covers sewer backups. That takes a separate product or endorsement, and Commerce notes the coverage varies from company to company.
| Where the water came from | What usually responds | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| A supply line freezes and bursts, heat on | Homeowners policy | Typically covered minus your deductible |
| Pipes burst in a house left unheated, water on | Often excluded | At risk under the freezing wording |
| A slow leak behind the wall for weeks | Often excluded | At risk as wear, deterioration or seepage |
| Water backs up through a floor drain | Sewer/drain backup endorsement | Only if added to your policy |
| The sump pump fails during snowmelt | Sewer/sump endorsement | Only if added, often with its own limit |
| Snowmelt or a river rises into the house | Flood insurance (NFIP or private) | Separate policy, usually a 30-day wait |
| Ice dam pushes water under the shingles | Homeowners policy | Typically covered, see our ice dam guide |
Commerce adds a useful warning: a sewer or sump pump endorsement doesn't mean you have flood coverage. Minnesota law also requires your insurer to send an annual notice that your homeowners policy doesn't cover flood (Minn. Stat. 65A.302). If a spring thaw is more of a worry for you than a January freeze, our flood insurance page explains how NFIP coverage works and why you shouldn't wait for the snowpack to buy it. For water that gets in from the roof rather than the plumbing, read what home insurance covers for ice dams.
What should you do in the first hour after a pipe bursts?
Short answerShut off the main water valve, stay clear of any water near electricity, photograph everything, start drying, and call your agent or insurer the same day.
Your policy expects you to limit the damage once you find it. The ISO HO-3 lists, among your duties after a loss, to "protect the property from further damage" and make reasonable and necessary repairs, and it reimburses the reasonable cost of those emergency measures when the damage itself is covered. The Minnesota Department of Commerce's guide to filing a residential claim says the same thing from the other side: if you don't make temporary repairs, additional damage may not be covered.
- Shut off the water at the main. It's usually next to the water meter in the basement. Find it in October, not in the dark.
- Put safety ahead of the cleanup. If water is near outlets, the electrical panel or appliances, stay out of it and call an electrician or your utility. Never thaw a pipe with an open flame; the American Red Cross warns against blowtorches, kerosene or propane heaters and other open-flame devices.
- Photograph before you move anything. Commerce recommends taking pictures or video of the damage before cleanup begins. Get the burst itself, the waterline on the walls and every damaged item.
- Start drying. Move belongings out of the water and run fans, or call a water mitigation company. Keep every receipt.
- Don't throw out damaged property yet. Commerce advises keeping it until the adjuster has seen it or approved disposal.
- Report the claim. Call your agent or insurer the same day. Commerce says to report the loss immediately.
What changed in 2025–2026: deductibles matter more
Deductibles across Minnesota have climbed. In a February 2026 letter included in the Legislature's Task Force on Homeowners and Commercial Property Insurance report, an industry representative wrote that "the days of a $500 all perils deductible are long gone in Minnesota." Know your all-perils deductible before winter, because a smaller burst may cost less than it. If your policy also carries a separate percentage wind/hail deductible, our hail damage guide explains how that one works.
Not sure whether something is worth claiming? Asking isn't the same as filing. Under Minn. Stat. 65A.285, an insurer may not surcharge your homeowners policy just because you made an inquiry that didn't lead to a paid claim, and 65A.29 subd. 11 says an inquiry to your agent about a potential claim can't be counted as a claim for nonrenewal purposes.
How do you keep pipes from freezing in a Minnesota winter?
Short answerKeep the heat steady, let warm air reach the pipes, insulate and heat-tape the exposed runs, drain outdoor lines, and add sensors that warn you before a small freeze becomes a flooded basement.
The American Red Cross and the Insurance Information Institute agree on the basics, and every one of them also helps show the reasonable care your policy expects:
- Hold the thermostat steady, day and night. The Red Cross suggests skipping the nighttime setback during a cold snap.
- Leaving town? Keep the heat at 55°F or higher, per the Red Cross. For longer trips, the III suggests having the water system drained.
- Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so room heat reaches the plumbing.
- Let a faucet drip. In very cold weather, a slow drip of cold water from a faucet served by exposed pipes keeps water moving.
- Insulate and heat-tape the exposed runs. The Red Cross recommends insulating attics, basements and crawl spaces, and using UL-listed heat tape or heat cable on exposed pipes.
- Drain the outdoor spigots and disconnect the hoses in the fall.
- Seal the drafts. Saint Paul Regional Water Services' frozen-pipe guide points to cracked basement windows, foundation gaps and open crawl-space vents, and suggests checking that the valves on either side of the water meter actually turn.
- Add smart sensors. A water-leak sensor near the water heater and under sinks, or a temperature alert on your phone, can turn a two-week leak into a two-hour one. Ask whether your insurer offers a discount for them; availability varies by carrier.
The Bottom Line
A frozen pipes insurance claim usually comes down to two questions: was the heat on (or the water shut off and drained), and did you act quickly once the water appeared? Get those right and a standard homeowners policy typically pays for the water damage from a sudden burst, minus your deductible. In an empty house, a cabin or a home you left for the winter, the freezing wording in your policy is where the claim gets decided.
Before the first subzero night, read the "freezing" and vacancy language in your policy, check whether you carry sewer and drain backup coverage (and whether you need flood), and find your main water shutoff.
If you'd like a second set of eyes, we're happy to walk through your policy. We start with Farmers and, when Farmers isn't the right fit, can look at additional carriers. You can see how we put policies together on our Minnesota home insurance page, or request a free quote. If you're reviewing everything at once, our Minnesota car insurance guide covers the auto side of a bundle.
Related Questions About Frozen Pipes and Home Insurance
Will my homeowners insurance cover frozen pipes if I was away on vacation?
Often yes, if you kept the heat on or shut off the water and drained the system before you left. The standard ISO homeowners form excludes freeze damage unless you used reasonable care to do one of those two things, so a furnace that was running, ideally with someone checking the house, matters. The American Red Cross recommends keeping the heat no lower than 55 degrees F while you're away. For long absences, tell your insurer, because many policies have vacancy rules that change coverage after a set number of days.
Does homeowners insurance cover frozen pipes at a Minnesota cabin?
It depends on the cabin's policy. The Minnesota Department of Commerce notes that secondary-home policies may carry extra stipulations because you only live there part of the year, and they're often written on a named-perils basis. Many still apply a freezing condition: heat maintained, or water shut off and lines drained. A cabin closed for the winter should be professionally winterized, and the policy reviewed each fall.
What temperature should I keep my house at to avoid a frozen pipe claim denial?
No single number appears in most policies. They typically ask for reasonable care to maintain heat. The American Red Cross recommends no lower than 55 degrees F when you're away, and the Insurance Information Institute suggests 65 degrees F during severe cold, warning that pipes inside walls can still freeze at lower settings. Holding the thermostat steady day and night during a cold snap is the safer habit.
Does home insurance pay a plumber to thaw a frozen pipe that hasn't burst?
Typically not. A homeowners policy pays for damage from a covered loss, and a frozen pipe that hasn't leaked usually hasn't caused any yet, so thawing it is treated like maintenance. It's still worth paying for. Calling a licensed plumber before the pipe splits is far cheaper than a water damage claim and your deductible.
Does calling my agent about a burst pipe count as a claim in Minnesota?
Not for surcharge or nonrenewal purposes. Under Minn. Stat. 65A.285, a homeowners insurer can't add a surcharge solely because you made an inquiry that didn't result in a paid claim. Minn. Stat. 65A.29 subd. 11 says an inquiry to your agent about a potential claim can't be counted as a claim in the insurer's nonrenewal plan. You can ask whether a loss is likely covered, and compare it with your deductible, before you decide to file.
Last reviewed by Ryan Block, licensed Minnesota insurance agent, on October 9, 2026. Minnesota statutes cited (65A.01, 65A.285, 65A.29 and 65A.302) were checked against revisor.mn.gov on that date. Policy language quotes the ISO Homeowners 3 Special Form (HO 00 03 05 11); your carrier's form may differ. Coverage guidance also draws on the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the NAIC (February 2024), the Insurance Information Institute (ISO claims data, 2019–2023) and the Minnesota Legislature's Task Force on Homeowners and Commercial Property Insurance (February 2026). Prevention tips come from the American Red Cross, the III and Saint Paul Regional Water Services. This guide is general information, not a substitute for reading your own policy. Coverage depends on your specific contract, and not all coverages and discounts are available from every insurer.