Plumber in Lockhart, TX for Frozen Pipes

By the San Marcos Emergency Plumber team · Updated October 2026

What to do first

1. Find the main water shutoff and turn it off if water is spraying or dripping from a ceiling or wall.
2. Open a cold faucet at the lowest point in the house to drain pressure from the lines.
3. Turn off the water heater (gas to pilot, or the breaker for electric) if the house water will be off for a while.
4. Take photos and video of the damage before you move or clean anything.
5. Call to be connected with a local plumber who serves Lockhart.

When should you call a plumber in Lockhart about frozen pipes?

Call a plumber in Lockhart when a pipe has burst, when water is running inside a wall or ceiling, or when a frozen line will not thaw safely on its own. You should also call if you have no water at all after a hard freeze, since that can mean a frozen or split line you cannot see.

Call right away for:

• Water spraying or dripping from a ceiling, wall or under a sink
• A wet spot spreading on the floor or a sound of running water when every tap is off
• A split pipe you can see in the attic, garage or crawl space
• A broken outdoor hose bib that is pouring water against the foundation

If water is moving, shut off the main first, then call. The burst pipe repair page explains what that kind of repair usually involves.

Which pipes freeze first in a Lockhart house?

In a Lockhart house, the pipes that freeze first are the ones closest to cold air: lines in exterior walls, attics, garages, crawl spaces and outdoor hose bibs. Pipes inside heated rooms rarely freeze unless the power and heat are out for a long time.

Watch these spots most closely:

• Hose bibs and outdoor faucets.
• Attic lines. Many Texas homes run supply lines through the attic, where winter air moves freely.
• Kitchen and bathroom sinks on outside walls.
• Pier-and-beam crawl spaces. Older homes raised off the ground have pipes exposed under the floor.
• The line from the meter to the house. Where it comes up out of the ground, it can freeze if it is not covered. See water line repair for that part of the system.

How do you get Lockhart pipes ready before the first freeze?

To get Lockhart pipes ready before a freeze, cover outdoor faucets, insulate exposed lines, disconnect garden hoses and make sure you can turn the main shutoff by hand. Doing these in October or November is easier than doing them the night a cold front arrives.

A simple fall checklist:

• Disconnect and drain garden hoses, then put foam covers on every hose bib.
• Wrap pipes in the attic, garage and crawl space with foam pipe insulation.
• Close crawl space vents and foundation openings before hard cold.
• Find the main shutoff, label it, and make sure it turns. A stuck valve is a common surprise during an emergency.
• Drain outdoor irrigation lines you can safely reach.

If your shutoff will not turn or is leaking, that is a good reason to call a plumber before winter, not after.

What should you do the night a hard freeze is coming?

On the night of a hard freeze in Lockhart, let a thin stream of water run from faucets on outside walls, open the cabinet doors under those sinks, and keep the heat on, even if you are leaving the house. Moving water and warm air are the two simplest ways to protect pipes.

• Drip both hot and cold at the faucets farthest from where water enters the house.
• Leave cabinet doors open so room heat reaches the pipes.
• Keep the thermostat steady overnight instead of turning it down.
• If you are traveling, ask someone to check the house, or shut off the main and drain the lines before you go.

Space heaters should never be left unattended or placed near anything that can catch fire.

How do you thaw a frozen pipe safely?

To thaw a frozen pipe safely, open the faucet it feeds, then warm the pipe slowly with a hair dryer, a heating pad or warm towels, starting at the faucet end and working back. Never use an open flame, a torch or a propane heater on a pipe or inside a wall.

Leaving the faucet open lets melting water flow and relieves pressure. Keep checking for leaks as the pipe warms, because a crack often shows up only after the ice melts. If you cannot reach the frozen section, if it is inside a wall, or if the pipe looks bulged or split, stop and call. A hidden leak can be found with leak detection once the water is back on.

What happens during the visit?

During the visit, a local plumber inspects the damaged or frozen line, explains the repair options, and gives you a written quote before any work starts. You decide what happens next.

The visit usually covers:

• Inspection. Finding every split or weak spot, not only the obvious one.
• Options explained. A small patch, replacing a section of pipe, rerouting a line out of a cold space, or adding insulation.
• Written quote first. Ask for the quote in writing before work begins, and ask whether a permit is needed.
• Checks after the repair. Turning the water back on slowly, checking for other leaks and looking at the water heater if it was affected.

For a step-by-step look at how calls work, see how it works.

Does home insurance cover a burst pipe in Lockhart?

It depends on your policy. Many policies treat sudden damage differently from gradual leaks, so check your policy and document everything. The Texas Department of Insurance says most homeowner policies cover sudden and accidental water damage like a burst pipe, but usually not damage from slow leaks.

TDI also warns that a policy might not pay for frozen-pipe damage if you did not take steps to protect your pipes, and that flood insurance does not pay for burst-pipe damage. After a break, take photos, keep damaged items if you can, save receipts, and report the damage to your insurer promptly.

How do you check a plumber's license in Texas?

You can check a plumber's license in Texas through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), which licenses Master, Responsible Master, Journeyman and Tradesman-Limited plumbers. TSBPE has a public license search on its website.

TSBPE suggests asking for the name of the company's Responsible Master Plumber and checking that the license is valid and has a Certificate of Insurance on file. Master Plumber license numbers begin with the letter "M." TSBPE does not set plumbing prices, and it suggests asking your city's plumbing inspection department whether a repair needs a permit.

Freeze risk for Lockhart and nearby towns

Lockhart does not freeze often, which is exactly why freeze damage catches people off guard. From February 11-19, 2021, most of Texas had prolonged freezing temperatures, ice, sleet, snow and power outages, which caused property damage from freezing pipes. Insurers reported 4,397 claims from that storm in neighboring Hays County alone, covering towns like San Marcos, Kyle and Buda.

National Weather Service data for nearby Austin shows how short and uneven the cold season is. Over 1991-2020, the average first freeze at Camp Mabry was December 1 and the average last freeze was February 15. Sub-freezing temperatures happen about 12 days a year at Camp Mabry but 33 days at Austin-Bergstrom Airport, where clear nights can be 10 degrees colder. Open, rural ground like much of the land around Lockhart can run colder than town.

The same prep applies across the area, from Lockhart and Martindale to Seguin and San Marcos. For drain and sewer issues in older Lockhart homes, see the Lockhart service area page.

Related pages

• Burst pipe repair
• What to do when a pipe bursts
• Water line repair
• Emergency plumber in Lockhart, TX