Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published September 11, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Does home insurance cover frozen pipes in Texas — and what about power outages?

This guide sets out what the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says about frozen pipes and home insurance. It covers burst-pipe coverage, protecting your pipes, flood, slow leaks and mold, empty houses, renters and condos, power outages and spoiled food, ice and snow, the steps after a pipe bursts, and getting ready for a freeze.

The short answer

On whether home insurance covers frozen pipes in Texas, TDI's disaster claims FAQ says: "Many policies will pay for damage to your house caused by a frozen pipe that burst, but there may be some limitations." TDI's winter storm tips say policies might not pay if you didn't take steps to protect your pipes, and the FAQ says a hotel stay during a power outage is probably not paid for.

TDI's FAQ answer on frozen pipes ends by suggesting you call your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay. TDI's Winter storms: Tips for preparing your house and pipes (last updated 4/29/2025) suggests asking your agent whether your home or renters policy covers sudden and accidental water damage, and says this coverage pays for damage from burst pipes. TDI's When are water damage and mold covered by insurance? (last updated 4/24/2025) says most homeowner and renters policies cover sudden and accidental water damage and gives a burst pipe as one example.

TDI's FAQ answer is about damage to your house. Whether a policy also pays to repair the pipe itself is a question for your policy wording, and none of the TDI pages cited in this guide addresses it.

What TDI says about protecting your pipes

Frozen-pipe coverage on a Texas home or renters policy can depend on what was done before the freeze. TDI's winter storm tips says: "Home and renters policies might not pay for damages caused by frozen pipes if you didn't take steps to protect your pipes, such as keeping the heater on in your house."

TDI's wording is "might not", so the page does not say a claim will be refused. That is a reason to ask your agent or company how your policy treats frozen pipes while there is still time to act on the answer.

For a house you leave before a freeze, the same TDI page gives this instruction: "If you leave your house before a freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave your heat on." The page also explains the valve. It says that if your pipes freeze, turning off the water at the shutoff valve prevents broken pipes from leaking into your house after they thaw. If you take precautions, a few photos on your phone can serve as a record of what you did.

Flood, slow leaks and mold: what TDI says

A burst pipe is one kind of water damage, and TDI's pages treat flood, gradual leaks and mold cleanup separately from it. Each is set out below with the TDI page that addresses it.

• Flood. TDI's winter storm tips says: "Flood insurance doesn't pay for damage caused by burst pipes." In the other direction, TDI's water damage and mold page says mold from a flood would not be covered because home policies don't cover floods, and that you would need a separate flood policy. TDI's Home insurance guide words the same point as most home policies not covering damage caused by floods. Our guide on flood insurance in Texas covers that separate policy.
• Slow leaks. Most home policies, according to TDI's water damage and mold page, don't cover water damage from gradual leaks or seepage, and the page says that includes damage from mold. A pipe that cracked in a freeze and dripped inside a wall for months may be a different claim from one that burst.
• Mold cleanup. The same TDI page says that if mold develops on an item damaged by sudden and accidental water damage, it would be covered. It also says most home policies don't include mold cleanup and testing after a damaged item is removed, and that your insurance company may let you add coverage for cleanup caused by a covered loss. Our guide on water damage and mold coverage in Texas goes into this further.

Empty houses and vacancy terms

A Texas home that sits empty through a freeze raises a separate question, which is whether the policy's vacancy terms apply. TDI's Home insurance guide (last updated 6/1/2026) is a general guide to home insurance and does not discuss freezes. In a table that it introduces with the note that coverages vary by company, the guide lists losses that occur if your house is vacant for the number of days specified by your policy among the things most policies don't cover.

In the same guide's list of reasons a company may nonrenew a policy, TDI writes: "Your house is vacant for 60 days or more. Most companies stop your coverage if your house is vacant for that long. They usually don't stop your liability coverage, though." The guide follows that with a suggestion to talk to your company if you plan to be out of your house for an extended time, to make sure your coverage continues.

Vacancy terms can matter for a lake house over winter, a rental between tenants, or the house of a relative who has moved into care. For any of them, a written freeze plan may be useful, such as someone checking the house on a schedule, or the water off and the heat on as TDI's winter page describes. Our guides on vacant home insurance and second home insurance in Texas cover those situations in detail.

If you rent or own a condo

TDI's frozen-pipe warning covers renters policies in Texas as well as home policies. Its winter storm tips names both when it says home and renters policies might not pay for frozen-pipe damage if you didn't take steps to protect your pipes, such as keeping the heater on in your house.

TDI's Home insurance guide, which is a general guide and not about freezes, says renters insurance covers your clothes, furniture, and other personal property if they are stolen or damaged while you are living in a rented house or apartment. It says renters insurance won't pay to fix the house or apartment building, and that the building owner's policy does that. The same guide says condominium insurance covers your personal property and the interior of your unit. In general terms, then, soaked furniture may be a question for a renter's own policy, and the building itself for the owner's policy.

TDI's blog post Avoid frozen pipes and costly water damage by taking steps now (January 23, 2026) suggests that, whether you own your home or live in an apartment or condo, you identify water shutoff valves indoors and out. Our guides on renters insurance and condo insurance in Texas explain who insures what.

Power outages during a freeze

A power outage on its own is treated differently from damage to the house in TDI's guidance on Texas home insurance. TDI's FAQ: Homeowners insurance and disaster claims (last updated 9/15/2025) answers two outage questions, one about a hotel stay and one about spoiled food.

A hotel while the power is out. Asked whether a policy will pay for a hotel when a house has no power or water until utilities are restored, TDI's FAQ answers: "Probably not. Policies usually only pay for hotels if your house was damaged by an event your policy covers. That probably wouldn't include a power outage."

The same FAQ says that if you can't stay in your home because of damage covered by your policy, your homeowners or renters policy may pay for a hotel or rental, and that you should check your policy for limits on the coverage. What separates TDI's two answers is whether there is damage that the policy covers. Our guide on loss of use coverage in Texas explains how that coverage works.

Spoiled food. TDI's winter storm tips says: "If the food in your refrigerator spoiled because of a power failure caused by something your policy covers, your policy should pay up to $500 to replace your food. And often there's no deductible." The page adds a suggestion to take pictures and keep a list of spoiled food.

Two other TDI pages word the food answer differently. TDI's disaster claims FAQ says most homeowners and renters policies will pay up to $500 or more for spoiled food if the power fails under certain circumstances, and that often there is not a deductible. TDI's Frequently Asked Questions about Fire/Smoke/Explosion Damage, an undated page written about fire, smoke and explosion losses and not about freezes, says most homeowners policies will pay up to $500 for food spoiled by an off-premises power failure if the power failure is a direct result of a peril covered in your policy. It says coverage is not limited to $500 if the power failure results from physical damage to the dwelling, or to equipment in it, caused by a covered peril. That page adds: "Some companies don't pay for a loss resulting from a power failure off premises unless added by an endorsement."

All three versions attach a condition to the food coverage. Whether an area-wide outage in a freeze meets the condition in your policy is a question to put to your agent or company.

Ice and snow: what TDI says about the house and the fence

Damage from the weight of ice and snow is addressed in TDI's disaster claims FAQ, which answers separately for the house and for what stands around it.

• The house. Many homeowners policies will pay if your house was damaged by the weight of sleet, snow, or ice, according to the FAQ.
• Fences and patios. Here the FAQ's answer is that it depends on your policy, that many policies only pay for damages to your house, and that they might pay for your fence or patio if your house collapses onto them from the weight of ice or snow.
• A branch weighed down by ice. For a tree or branch that falls on a fence, TDI's FAQ says some policies exclude coverage for damage that happens from the weight of ice or snow, unless the falling tree hit your house and caused part of it to collapse onto a fence.

Each of those three answers ends with the same suggestion, to call your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay. Read together, the answers show that a policy can treat the house and the structures around it differently.

If a pipe bursts: what TDI says to do

When a pipe bursts in a Texas freeze, the steps you can take come down to stopping the water, drying out, reporting and recording. The order below is ours. The facts inside each step come from the TDI page linked in it.

1. Shut the water off. TDI's winter storm tips says that if your pipes freeze, turning off the water at the shutoff valve prevents broken pipes from leaking into your house after they thaw. TDI's water damage and mold page says to stop the water flow or leak as soon as you can.
2. Start drying. The same water damage page says to remove pools of water and start drying the area to prevent more damage and mold growth, and that mold can start growing within a day after a leak.
3. Move wet things out. The page says to move wet items to a dry room or an area with fresh air, to put anything you move outside somewhere secure, and to pull up wet carpets and rugs. If you can't remove the water and dry the area yourself, it suggests using a service.
4. Report it. In its tips on filing a claim for water damage, the page says to tell your company as soon as possible, and adds: "You usually must report water damage that was hidden from view within days after you first see it."
5. Photograph the damage and keep the damaged items. The page says to make a list of your damaged property, to take pictures or videos of the damage before making any repairs if possible, and not to throw away damaged items until your adjuster has seen them.
6. Make temporary repairs only. The page says to make temporary repairs to protect your house and belongings, not to make permanent repairs until your insurance company sees the damage, and to keep receipts for any materials you bought to make repairs.

For the plumbing repair itself, the resources list on TDI's water damage and mold page links to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' guidance on selecting a plumber or a plumbing contractor.

Deductibles and claims history: what TDI says

A burst-pipe claim on a Texas home policy is subject to the policy's deductible and becomes part of your claims history. The two TDI pages cited in this section are about home insurance claims in general, not frozen pipes in particular.

The deductible. TDI's Home insurance guide defines a deductible as the amount of a claim that you must pay yourself. Its example is a $1,000 claim under a policy with a $300 deductible, where the company deducts $300 and pays $700, and it notes that you might have different deductibles for each type of coverage. TDI's Will my premium go up if I file a claim? (last updated 2/26/2026) suggests finding out how much your deductible is and getting repair estimates. The same page says home and auto companies can't charge you more for calling your company or agent to ask questions about your policy or the claims filing process. Our guide on home insurance deductibles in Texas covers the math.

Claims history. Most insurance companies, according to the same premium and claims page, get a report from the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE), so they can learn about home or auto claims you've filed even if the claim was with another insurance company. The page says home and auto insurance companies can raise your premium for filing most types of claims, and that home companies can't charge you more for claims for damage from natural causes, including weather. It does not say how a pipe that burst in a freeze is classified, so that is a question for your company.

Getting ready: TDI's checklist

Getting a Texas home ready for a freeze starts before the cold arrives, and TDI publishes its own preparation lists. The frozen pipes blog post, dated January 23, 2026, says that simple steps taken ahead of time could head off thousands of dollars of water damage to walls, ceilings, carpets, and furniture. It suggests installing inexpensive wraps on exposed pipes, starting in the attic, where it says many Texas homeowners saw pipes freeze last winter, and wrapping outdoor faucets.

For the days before a freeze, the winter storm tips list these steps:

• Wrap outdoor and indoor pipes in unheated areas, such as a clothes washer in your garage.
• Remove water hoses and wrap outdoor pipes.
• Drain and turn off your lawn sprinkler system.
• Turn off the water to your clothes washer if it is in an unheated garage.
• If you leave the house before a freeze, close the water shutoff valve and leave the heat on.

For when it freezes, the same page lists these:

• Open cabinets under sinks to let the house's heat warm the pipes.
• Let faucets drip from the cold and hot taps, or run water through your indoor faucets before you go to sleep. The page says to follow your local government's instructions, which may limit water usage.

TDI's blog post also advises against delaying preparations until a freeze looms. Doing the list on a mild day may also leave you with a record of the steps you took.

Key facts

• Many policies pay for damage to a house from a frozen pipe that burst, though there may be limitations, according to TDI's disaster claims FAQ, which suggests calling your agent or company to ask if your policy will pay.
• TDI's winter storm tips say home and renters policies might not pay for frozen-pipe damage if you didn't take steps to protect your pipes, such as keeping the heater on in your house.
• The same TDI winter page says flood insurance does not pay for burst-pipe damage, and TDI's water damage and mold page says most home policies don't cover water damage from gradual leaks or seepage, including damage from mold.
• TDI's Home insurance guide lists a house that is vacant for 60 days or more among the reasons a company may nonrenew a policy. It says most companies stop your coverage if the house is vacant for that long, though they usually don't stop liability coverage, and suggests talking to your company if you plan to be away for an extended time. The guide's coverage table puts the number of vacancy days as the number specified by your policy.
• A policy will probably not pay for a hotel while the power or water is out, per TDI's disaster claims FAQ, because policies usually only pay for hotels if the house was damaged by an event the policy covers.
• On spoiled food, TDI's winter storm tips say a policy should pay up to $500 for spoiled food if the power failure was caused by something your policy covers, often with no deductible. TDI's fire, smoke and explosion FAQ adds that some companies don't pay for an off-premises power failure unless the coverage is added by an endorsement.
• After water damage, TDI's water damage and mold page says to tell your company as soon as possible, that you usually must report water damage that was hidden from view within days after you first see it, and that mold can start growing within a day after a leak.
• The TDI Help Line is 800-252-3439, as given on TDI's disaster claims FAQ.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Winter storms: Tips for preparing your house and pipes, FAQ: Homeowners insurance and disaster claims, When are water damage and mold covered by insurance?, Avoid frozen pipes and costly water damage by taking steps now, Home insurance guide, Frequently Asked Questions about Fire/Smoke/Explosion Damage and Will my premium go up if I file a claim?. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Take the next step

Before the first cold front, there are three steps you can take.

1. Find your main water shutoff valve and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is and can turn it.
2. Wrap the exposed pipes in the attic, the garage and outside.
3. Ask your agent or company three questions and write down the answers. Ask how your policy treats frozen pipes, whether food spoiled by an off-premises power failure is covered, and what your vacancy terms are if you'll be away.

If you're reviewing your coverage before winter, our guides on how home insurance works in Texas and what home insurance doesn't cover are a good place to start.

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