Property · Insurance Term
Freeze Damage (Frozen Pipes)
Definition
Freeze damage is harm caused when water freezes, expands and bursts pipes, sprinkler lines or equipment, plus the water damage that follows when it thaws. Many property policies cover it, but often only if you kept the building heated or drained and shut off the water system.
In Plain English
Commercial property forms commonly cover water damage from frozen plumbing, but with a condition. Unless you took reasonable care to keep heat on, or drained the system and shut off the water, freeze damage may be excluded. That condition matters most in empty buildings and suites.
Many policies have a vacancy clause that applies once a building has been vacant more than 60 consecutive days. After that, coverage for water damage is removed, and so is sprinkler leakage unless the system was protected against freezing. Other covered losses may be reduced by 15%.
Freezing can also damage chillers, boilers and fire sprinkler systems. Equipment breakdown coverage may respond to some of these failures, depending on the cause and the policy wording.
Not sure how your policy handles this? Have us review it, or get a quote.
Example
Hypothetical and simplified: During a hard freeze, a sprinkler line bursts in an occupied, heated office building and floods three suites, causing $150,000 of damage. Because the owner kept the heat on, the property policy may cover the water damage, subject to the deductible. If the building had sat empty and unheated for months, the outcome could be very different.
Why It Matters for Texas Property Owners
Winter Storm Uri (February 11 to 19, 2021) showed how costly a freeze can be in Texas. In TDI's data, commercial property was about 10% of Uri claims but about 53% of incurred losses, with an average commercial claim of about $149,000. Freeze planning matters even where hard freezes are rare.
What to Watch For
- Keep heat on at a set minimum temperature in empty units and buildings during freezes.
- Insulate pipes in exterior walls, attics and unheated rooms.
- Know where the water shutoffs are and how to drain the system.
- Ask how your policy's vacancy and freeze conditions apply to empty suites.
Sources
Last updated October 14, 2026 · Primesure editorial team · How We Write