Frozen Pipe Leak Claims Help

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Licensed Public Adjusters with decades of full‑time experience handling Frozen Pipe Leak damage claims. We combine deep policy knowledge, structural assessment expertise, and hands‑on claim management skills to ensure every aspect of your water loss — visible or hidden — is properly documented and fairly compensated.

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Understanding Frozen Pipe Leak Claims

Making a claim for a burst frozen pipe?

Your water damage should be covered…but not always!

If you are a home owner or business owner who has experienced a frozen pipe burst broken pipe leak from this winter’s cold snap, a public adjuster can help you properly document, file, and negotiate maximum benefits for your water damage claim so you get a fair, prompt and equitable settlement. Advocate Public Adjustment your frozen pipe claims advocate public adjuster will make certain that your property is mitigated and dried out properly. Then, negotiate a settlement that you are entitled receiving all the policy benefits that your particular insurance policy offers.

Freezing of plumbing pipes that rupture causing major water damage only occurs during certain times of the year in our region of South Eastern Pennsylvania of Bucks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County and Chester County. When standing water is trapped in a plumbing pipe and the temperature drops below freezing, the frozen water expands and splits the soft copper pipe and causes the pipe to bursts. When the temperature rises and the pipe starts to thaw out is when the water damage will occur. If you do not notice this or become aware of this burst ruptured plumbing pipe immediately you could be facing a huge water damage property loss to your home and personal belongings. Fresh water supply lines under pressure are just like a garden hose and if not turned off immediately, well you get the picture…it will just run and run until you get home or do notice a huge mess.

Most homeowners in this situation want to know if a frozen burst plumbing pipe that ruptures, that creates an enormous amount of water damage is covered by their homeowner insurance policy?

In general, that is a great question? Because the answer is that just because you have a homeowner insurance policy does not mean that this type of water damage is covered. That is correct!

You need to have a policy that pays for Accidental Discharge or Overflow of Water or Steam that escapes a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, fire protection sprinkler system. In addition, to the named peril of Freezing. That is why we offer a FREE NO Obligation POLICY REVIEW. No sense informing the insurance company if this is not covered. They do not need to know anything if they are not covering or paying for the resulting water damage.

Every property owner should take the time to check for coverage either by calling their agent or reading their specific policy of insurance in SECTION – 1 PERILS INSURED AGAINST. Most policies that cover or insure against FREEZING stipulate that you must either drain the entire plumbing system or maintain heat in the building.

You better believe that the insurance company will request utility bills depicting that you most certainly were maintaining heat in the building. They will request electric usage and if the records show that the electric was on but not enough usage to supply motors to properly heat the building you could have a problem. If you have oil heat then they will request oil delivery documentation and usage for the last 2-3 months. If you have natural gas heat then you will be required to produce these records showing usage and that it was running.

Insurance companies will look to every avenue possible in order to deny this type of property loss.

Failing to follow and comply with policy stipulations, terms and conditions can generate a claim denial, so beware. Understand that when you report a freezing burst plumbing pipe water leak damage insurance claim to the insurance company that your conversation is being recorded. Word for word. They will tell you for quality assurance purposes…right. How you report a frozen burst pipe water-damage claim can make a huge difference. Do not use the word “flood” under any circumstances because insurance companies have a specific definition for the word flood and floods are only covered under a Flood Policy or Flood Endorsement, added to a homeowner policy. Even an inquiry using the flood word in a casual conversation when speaking to your agent can cause you concerns. Always refer to your claim as “water damage” and not flood damage.

You Need to know and understand if your homeowner insurance policy will cover
Plumbing Leak Water Damage…right?

Water Damage is one of several reasons WHY a homeowner may file a home insurance claim.

Common Myths about Pipe Bursts

A regular plumbing pipe burst on a 90-degree day having the correct policy type will only cover the resulting water damage that escaped the system or appliance. Not the plumbing pipe or the appliance. That is correct. The pipe the water escaped is considered the system and the policy specifically states that they do not owe for repairs to the system. But not true for a freezing occurrence. This is why you need to contact Advocate Public Adjustment the frozen pipe burst water damage public adjuster who will be certain to protect all of your assets. We know how to negotiate maximum freezing of plumbing pipe claim benefits.

Never allow the mitigation or restoration company to bill the insurance company directly until you have reviewed their entire invoice. The amount that they will be charging comes directly out of the COVERAGE A Dwelling limit of liability and or COVERAGE C Personal Property limits or both. These types of emergency service invoices can be enormous amounts of money that lower the coverage amounts. Just be careful and aware of this fact. This could lead to one of the biggest financial mistakes a property owner can make, when faced with a freezing plumbing pipe water damage insurance claim. We are only a phone call away and offer a FREE Consultation. (215) 364-4546.

Protect Your Frozen Pipe Water Leak Claim by Understanding Your Responsibilities and Duties

Just as it is important to understand coverage, it’s your duty and responsibility as the policyholder to start the cleanup, dry out, and mitigation process as soon as possible, in order to prevent further damage from occurring to your home… like Mold growth, or mold spores from populating and causing secondary damage to spread throughout the entire home. Causing a “Sick House” syndrome.

Naturally, there will be suggestions made to hire qualified and professional water damage mitigation vendors. Given the stress that a situation like this generates, the majority of policyholders need to keep their focus on their insurance benefits and money. Unscrupulous contractors will no doubt try and take advantage of many property owners during this time period. You need to “READ” and understand the work authorization forms that Emergency Service crews will force you to sign before starting any work.

Just don’t start signing paper work without reading first. Even if they were sent by and from the insurance company. Keep in mind that you are the one signing these forms, not your insurance company. Unfortunately, when a wide spread frozen pipe burst catastrophic event causes wide spread water damage to occur to an entire area because of the temperature drop can cause price gouging to occur from many unethical contractors. Your insurance company is not likely to pay anything but “reasonable” and “necessary” mitigation clean-up and repair cost. Any charges that are excessive or inflated can cause problems as the balance of their invoice is your responsibility since you agreed to pay when you signed the work authorization form. BE CAREFUL…!

Our opinion is that you can try to avoid this problem by amending the work authorization form by adding or modifying the work authorization agreement to include: “any and all charges are subject to an agreement and approval by my insurance company.” If the contractor rejects this modification, then call another water damage mitigation restoration contractor. Ask that contractor to leave immediately.

We also suggest you keep a daily log of all conversations, emails and commitments that take place, with names, phone numbers, business cards and etc. Keep this readily available for reference if needed.

Your freezing plumbing pipe rupture water-damage insurance claim also might be denied if your insurer suggests after their investigation that you are responsible for the pipe bursting in the first place. Most pipes that burst do so because they freeze, expand and split the pipe. If you went to the Bahamas for a two-month vacation and left your home unheated during the winter months your insurance company may conclude after requesting all utility bills that you did not act within the terms and conditions and were “Negligence” by not draining the all systems that contains water or by maintaining heat in the building. That this is the basis for their denial.

Precautions to Prevent Freezing Pipes:

Here is a list of things you can do to help protect your pipes from freezing during the winter:

Turn on your faucets and allow them to drip slowly. Moving water will prevent freezing.
Heat your house to a minimum of 65 degrees during the winter months
Open cabinet doors below sinks. It will help allow warm air to circulate keeping pipes from freezing
Drain your water systems and appliances if you’re away for an extended time.
Disconnect all gardening hoses and drain the hose bib by keep it on or open
Identify the location of the main fresh water supply line valve coming into the home and turn it off. Open all faucets. Flush all toilets after the supply lines are off so these do not refill. Drain the washer machine hoses by opening them up or turning on until empty.
Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls, attics, soffits, and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls that can be exposed to drafts. Temperatures the fall below freezing with windy drafty flow is really bad and can cause a pipe to freeze even if the heat is on. Proper insulation in necessary. Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Once again, freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows.
Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home. Getting a thermal scan of the entire house may show areas where heat loss occurs frequently. Or where drafts are coming in and cause a potential threat.

Monitor Freezing Pipe Conditions

Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing.
The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet.
Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up.
Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and in crawl spaces.
These tend to be vulnerable to freezing conditions.
Identify cold air drafts coming in from a exhaust flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps that are near pipes.

If a Pipe Freezes

If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.) Or call a plumber and have then zap the line with electrical current.
To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes.
When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.

If a Pipe Bursts

Shut off water at the main valve.
If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed.
Call a plumber. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.

Consider talking to a professional freezing burst plumbing pipe adjuster at Advocate Public Adjustment with full time freezing of pipe burst claims experience since 1992. If you would like help with your frozen pipe burst insurance claim and want to understand your options, give us a call at (215) 364-4546 or contact us

Some emergency service companies may balk at this, but others may agree so they don’t lose the business. Having the clout of your insurance company in disputes regarding emergency services costs can be a powerful ally. If you do not have this spelled out on the emergency service agreement contract up front, you likely have the burden to try and negotiate any dispute yourself. Your best bet to avoid this problem is have to the insurance adjuster and the contractor agree on the scope and price of the loss before commencement of the work. Unfortunately, in large catastrophe situations, it may be days or weeks before an adjuster gets out to inspect your loss. So while a claim may be reported and a claim number assigned, remember you are going to be on your own in the initial stages of the claim. Please pay attention to all that is being done and said.

Contact Advocate Public Adjustment Public Adjusters today to start the water damage insurance claim process.

(215) 364-4546 / (215) 622-0090

Get maximum benefits that you deserve from a Water Damage Insurance Claim.