Frozen and Burst Pipes: A Pierce County Homeowner’s Guide

Western Washington does not get many hard freezes, and that is exactly why frozen pipes catch people out. Plenty of homes around Tacoma, Puyallup and Lakewood have water lines in crawlspaces, garages and exterior walls that were never insulated for a week below freezing. When the January 2024 cold snap hit the Northwest, burst pipes followed across the region, and many of them broke open as the weather warmed back up.

This guide covers what to do if a pipe has frozen or burst in your home, how insurance generally looks at it, and how to keep it from happening before the next freeze.

If a pipe has burst: do this first

1. Shut off the water at the main valve.It is usually where the supply line enters the house: the garage, a utility room, the crawlspace or beside the water heater. If you cannot reach it or it will not turn, Tacoma Public Utilities customers can call Tacoma Water. Other water districts in the county have their own emergency numbers.
2. Keep away from wet electrics.If water has reached outlets, light fixtures or the breaker panel, do not stand in water to switch anything off. Call your electric utility or an electrician instead.
3. Turn off the water heater's powerwhile the water to the house is off, as Tacoma Public Utilities advises.
4. Photograph everything before you clean up.Wide shots of each room, then the damage up close, then the broken pipe itself. Your insurer will ask what it looked like before.
5. Get standing water up, but leave the building materials alone.Towels, a mop and a wet/dry vacuum help. Pulling up carpet or cutting drywall is a decision for the drying plan and your adjuster.
6. Call a plumber for the pipe and a restoration company for the water.Water from a burst line soaks into insulation, subfloors and wall cavities you cannot see, and in our damp climate mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours.

The full step-by-step list, including what not to do, is in our first-hour water damage checklist.

If a pipe is frozen but has not burst

A faucet that only trickles in freezing weather usually means an ice plug somewhere along that line. The ice is not what splits the pipe. Pressure builds in the water trapped between the ice and the closed faucet, and the pipe often gives way where there is little ice at all.

• Open the faucet the frozen line feeds, so pressure has somewhere to go and melting water can run.
• Never use an open flame, and keep electric devices away from wet pipes. Fire and shock are both risks.
• Ask before you thaw. Tacoma Public Utilities advises getting guidance from a plumber or your water utility on thawing a pipe safely.
• If you cannot find or reach the frozen section, call a licensed plumber, and know where your main shut-off is in case the pipe has already split.

Which pipes freeze in a Pierce County home

• Pipes in an unheated crawlspace, especially near foundation vents left open
• Supply lines running through an attached garage or along an exterior wall
• Kitchen and bathroom sink pipes inside cabinets on outside walls
• Hose bibs, and garden hoses left connected to them
• The service line where it enters the house, and irrigation systems
• Any home left empty or with the heat turned down during a cold snap

How to keep pipes from freezing

Before the first hard freeze

• Insulate exposed pipes in crawlspaces, garages and attics, and wrap outdoor faucets and valves.
• Disconnect garden hoses and drain the outdoor faucets and the irrigation system.
• Find your main shut-off now and tag it, so anyone in the house can find it in the dark.

During a cold snap

• Let cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes. Even a trickle helps.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the plumbing, and move cleaners out of children's reach.
• Keep the garage door closed if water lines run through the garage.
• Keep the thermostat steady day and night. If you travel, set it no lower than 55°F, or shut off the water and drain the lines if the home will sit empty.

Many of the same steps protect a home in a windstorm or an atmospheric river. Our storm preparation guide for Western Washingtoncovers the rest.

Burst pipes and your insurance claim

Every policy is different, and only your insurer can tell you what yours covers. In general, homeowners policies are written to cover water damage from a sudden and accidental discharge, and insurers expect you to have taken reasonable steps to prevent freezing, such as keeping the heat on. A home left empty is generally expected to have its water shut off. A slow leak that went on for weeks is often treated differently from a sudden break.

What helps any claim is a clear record: photos before cleanup, the date and time you found the leak, receipts for anything you spent to stop the damage, and notes from every call with your carrier. Our printable water damage claim checklist keeps it all in one place, and our insurance claims guidewalks through the process step by step.

How Skoolie Restoration helps after a burst pipe

We extract the standing water, then dry the structure with professional drying and dehumidification equipment, including the cavities behind walls and under floors where water hides. We document the damage with photos, moisture readings and written reports for your claim, and we work directly with your insurance carrier. See our water damage restoration service, or, if the freeze came with wind or falling trees, our storm damage restoration service.

Our 24/7 emergency line, (253) 296-2282, is answered by our AI receptionist, who takes the details and alerts our crew right away. The office line, (253) 414-1809, is open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. We serve Pierce, south King, Thurston, Lewis and Mason counties.

Frozen pipe FAQs