A compiled reference of 24 verified statistics on frozen and burst pipes: insurer claim counts and average payouts from 2018 through mid-2025, how often water and freezing claims hit insured homes, the claim surge from the February 2021 Texas freeze, what the plumbing repair costs on its own, and the temperature thresholds insurers publish. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (State Farm, the Insurance Information Institute, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Square One) and checked against the original before publishing.
Key statistics
5 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
A burst pipe is a cheap plumbing repair attached to an expensive water event. The fix runs a few hundred dollars; the average insured frozen pipe loss at State Farm, the largest US home insurer by premium volume, now tops $30,000, up from over $20,000 for 2022 and just over $23,500 for 2023.
The average frozen pipe claim paid by State Farm exceeded $30,000 in 2024 through mid-2025.
In 2023 the average frozen pipe claim was just over $23,500, on 17,200+ claims.
About 1 in 67 insured homes (1.50 per 100) files a water damage or freezing claim each year (2019-2023).
The 2021 Texas freeze produced 18,900 State Farm pipe claims in Texas, versus 75 the year before.
Fixing the pipe itself averages $500; the average State Farm frozen pipe claim tops $30,000.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in October 2026 from named public sources and checked against the original document before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
Insurer newsroom claims releases, the Insurance Information Institute's tables of ISO homeowners loss data, published repair cost guides, and news reports quoting insurer figures where the insurer's own release is no longer online.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each one at the point it appears. The one comparison we draw (claim averages across years) uses each year's published figure as stated.
- Disagreements shown, not averaged
State Farm publishes over different windows (calendar years, August to August, 18 months). We label each window rather than blending them into one trend line.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope: insurer figures describe paid claims at one carrier or across ISO's homeowners book, not all frozen pipe events; many small freezes are never claimed. State Farm's 2024-2025 data is non-tenant homeowner claims, and the Insurance Information Institute's tables exclude tenant and condo policies plus Alaska, Texas, and Puerto Rico. Repair guides are contractor-quote ranges, not audited costs.
Frozen pipe losses, by the numbers
All 24 figures, grouped by theme, each from a named public source and checked against the original.
Insurance claims and average payouts
State Farm, the largest US home insurer by premium volume, publishes its frozen pipe claim totals most winters. According to State Farm (statefarm.com), from January 2024 through June 2025 it received more than 20,000 claims for frozen pipe and winter water damage and paid more than $628 million. Its 2023 release put the year at more than 17,200 claims and $432.5 million paid. Earlier years survive mainly in news coverage quoting the insurer: Fox Weather (foxweather.com) for 2022 and WRDW (wrdw.com) for August 2022 to August 2023. Industry trade outlet Carrier Management (carriermanagement.com) reported that the 2024-2025 figures come from non-tenant homeowner closed claims.
Statistic 1
From January 2024 through June 2025, State Farm received more than 20,000 frozen pipe and winter water damage claims and paid over $628 million.
State Farm (2026)
Statistic 2
The average claim payment in that period exceeded $30,000.
State Farm (2026)
Statistic 3
The five states with the highest total frozen pipe claim costs in 2024 through mid-2025 were Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Tennessee.
State Farm (2026)
Statistic 4
In 2023, State Farm received more than 17,200 frozen pipe claims, paid more than $432.5 million, and averaged just over $23,500 per claim.
State Farm (2024)
Statistic 5
From August 2022 to August 2023, State Farm paid $806 million in frozen pipe claims nationally; Georgia led all states at $100 million, about 12.4% of the total.
WRDW, reporting State Farm data (2024)
Statistic 6
In 2022 (as reported that December), State Farm paid more than $181 million in frozen pipe claims, with the average claim costing over $20,000.
Fox Weather, reporting State Farm data (2022)
Statistic 7
Frozen pipe losses at State Farm in 2018 totaled more than $270 million, up more than $162 million from 2017.
State Farm (2019)
What this means: each time State Farm has published an average, it has been higher: over $20,000 for 2022, just over $23,500 for 2023, over $30,000 for 2024 through mid-2025. The windows differ, so read it as direction rather than a precise growth rate. The August-to-August figure ($806 million) is much larger than calendar 2023 ($432.5 million); the two windows overlap only from January to August 2023, and State Farm does not publish a monthly split.
How often water and freezing claims happen
For the whole market, according to the Insurance Information Institute (iii.org), which publishes ISO homeowners loss data, water damage and freezing is the second most frequent property claim after wind and hail. The category includes covered mold, and the tables cover standard homeowners policies only.
Statistic 8
The Insurance Information Institute summarizes this as about one in 60 insured homes per year; its 2019-2023 frequency of 1.50 claims per 100 homes works out to about one in 67 (computed).
Insurance Information Institute
Statistic 9
Water damage and freezing claims averaged $15,400 per claim (2019-2023), at a frequency of 1.50 claims per 100 insured homes per year.
Insurance Information Institute, ISO data (2019-2023)
Statistic 10
Water damage and freezing made up 22.6% of homeowners insurance losses in 2023, down from 28.7% in 2019.
Insurance Information Institute, ISO data
What this means: the market-wide average water claim ($15,400) sits well below State Farm's frozen pipe average (over $30,000). The two are not like for like: ISO figures are incurred losses across many carriers and exclude Texas, while State Farm reports its own paid frozen pipe claims.
The February 2021 Texas freeze
Winter Storm Uri shows what happens when a hard freeze hits housing built for heat. Reporting by the San Antonio Report, republished by United Policyholders (uphelp.org), quoted insurer claim counts within the first two weeks.
Statistic 11
State Farm handled 18,900 frozen and burst pipe claims in Texas from the February 2021 storm, against 75 such claims in the state the year before.
United Policyholders / San Antonio Report (2021)
Statistic 12
In that prior year, the average Texas frozen pipe claim at State Farm was slightly more than $10,000.
United Policyholders / San Antonio Report (2021)
Statistic 13
USAA reported more than 30,000 claims from the storm within a week, most of them in Texas.
United Policyholders / San Antonio Report (2021)
What this means: State Farm says homes in warmer climates such as the Southeast are at greater risk, because pipes there often run through uninsulated or under-insulated attics and crawl spaces. Texas still appears in State Farm's top five for 2024 through mid-2025.
What the repair costs
The plumbing is the small part of the bill. According to Angi (angi.com), the national average to repair a burst pipe in 2026 is $500. HomeAdvisor (homeadvisor.com), part of the same company, breaks out labor and emergency fees. In Canada, according to insurer Square One (squareone.ca), a full burst pipe incident averages about $16,000 to repair.
Statistic 14
Burst pipe repair costs $200 to $3,000 for most homeowners, with a $500 national average; the low end is $150 and the high end $5,000.
Angi (2026)
Statistic 15
Burst pipe repair runs $150 to $250 per linear foot installed, while the pipe material alone costs $0.50 to $30 per linear foot.
Angi (2026)
Statistic 16
A burst pipe inside a wall typically costs $150 to $500 to repair, plus $50 to $75 per square foot to repair the drywall.
Angi (2026)
Statistic 17
Labor makes up nearly 80% of a burst pipe repair bill.
HomeAdvisor (2025)
Statistic 18
Emergency call-out fees add $100 to $300.
HomeAdvisor (2025)
Statistic 19
A burst pipe incident costs about $16,000 on average to repair in Canada.
Square One (2024)
Statistic 20
Square One's frozen pipe claims rose 191% in the first weeks of 2024 compared with the start of 2023.
Square One (2024)
What this means: a $500 plumbing repair and a $30,000 claim are the same event caught at different times. For more on the plumbing side, see our rental plumbing repair cost statistics; for the cleanup side, our restoration cost statistics.
Temperatures, volumes, and vacancy rules
Insurers publish the thresholds they use in their own prevention guidance. Square One's policy terms show how vacancy itself becomes a coverage condition, which matters for second homes and short-term rentals sitting empty between stays.
Statistic 21
Pipes in uninsulated attics, crawl spaces, and exterior walls are most at risk when outdoor temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
State Farm (2026)
Statistic 22
A small crack in a pipe can release over 250 gallons of water a day.
State Farm (2026)
Statistic 23
State Farm recommends keeping a home heated to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit in winter.
State Farm (2026)
Statistic 24
Square One policies require homeowners away for more than seven days in heating season to arrange daily checks that the heat is on, or to shut off and drain the water.
Square One (2024)
What this means: the risk concentrates in empty buildings. A vacant rental at 50 degrees with a slow leak can run for days before anyone walks in, which is how a $500 repair becomes a five-figure loss. See also our water leak detection and insurance statistics.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
What is the average frozen pipe insurance claim?
More than $30,000. State Farm reports that from January 2024 through June 2025 it received more than 20,000 frozen pipe and winter water claims, paid more than $628 million, and the average claim payment exceeded $30,000. Its 2023 average was just over $23,500.
How much does it cost to fix a burst pipe?
The pipe itself usually costs $200 to $3,000 to repair, with a $500 national average, according to Angi. That covers the plumbing only. The water damage it causes is what drives insurance claims past $20,000 to $30,000.
At what temperature do pipes freeze?
State Farm says pipes in uninsulated areas such as attics, crawl spaces, and exterior walls are most at risk when outdoor temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and recommends keeping the home heated to at least 55 degrees.
Which states have the most frozen pipe claims?
It moves with each winter. For January 2024 through June 2025, State Farm's top five states by total claim cost were Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Tennessee. For August 2022 to August 2023, Georgia led with $100 million in paid claims.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing.
State FarmNewsroom frozen pipe claims releases, 2019 to 2026statefarm.com
Insurance Information InstituteHomeowners loss frequency and severity tables (ISO data)iii.org
United PolicyholdersRepublished Texas winter storm claims reportinguphelp.org
AngiBurst pipe repair cost guideangi.com
HomeAdvisorBurst pipe repair cost guidehomeadvisor.com
Square One InsuranceFrozen pipe claims press releasesquareone.ca
WRDW News 12State-level frozen pipe claims reportingwrdw.com
Fox WeatherWinter water damage claims reportingfoxweather.com
Carrier ManagementInsurance trade reporting on frozen pipe lossescarriermanagement.com