Austin · Seasonal
The Austin freeze prep checklist
November 2025 · 5 min read
Austin houses are not built for sustained freezing weather, and 2021 proved it. The work that prevents a burst pipe takes about an hour, and almost all of it can be done in November instead of the night before.
Do this in November, once
These are the items that are miserable to do in the dark with a norther blowing in.
- Find and tag the main water shutoff. Confirm it actually turns.
- Remove every garden hose and install insulated hose-bib covers.
- Shut off and drain the irrigation backflow preventer, then wrap it.
- Insulate any exposed pipe in the attic, garage, and along exterior walls.
- Confirm the water heater is not sitting in an unheated space without protection.
The night before a hard freeze
A hard freeze in Austin means sustained hours below 28 degrees, which is when uninsulated attic runs actually fail.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls.
- Let one interior faucet drip, not every faucet in the house.
- Set the thermostat to a steady temperature rather than a night setback.
- Open the garage door as little as possible if a water line runs through it.
If a pipe bursts anyway
Shut the main off first, then the water heater power or gas, then call. Water running for an hour costs more than the pipe ever will.
Questions we get
- At what temperature do pipes freeze in Austin?
- Damage typically starts when temperatures stay below about 28 degrees for several hours, especially with wind. Brief dips to freezing overnight rarely cause a burst in a well-sealed house.
- Should I drip every faucet?
- No. One or two drips keep water moving through the system. Dripping every fixture wastes water and, during a regional event, contributes to the pressure loss that causes bigger problems.
- Does my irrigation system need to be winterized in Austin?
- The backflow preventer above ground is the vulnerable part. Shut off the supply, drain it, and insulate it. Full below-ground blowouts are rarely necessary here.
Rather not track all this?
Well Kept Home members get this work scheduled through the year by the same Austin crew, with written notes and photos after every visit.