How much does a plumber charge to winterize a house?

Author: Prof. Dolores Glover I  |  Last update: Saturday, January 24, 2026

You can expect to pay between $50 and $150 per hour. If you need to insulate your pipes, your best bet is to hire a plumber near you, and you'll pay between $45 to $150 per hour.

What is the average cost to winterize a house?

Cost of Winterizing a House

On average, homeowners can expect to spend between $200 to $1,000 for basic winterization tasks. However, more comprehensive winterization efforts can range from $1,000 to $5,000 or more.

What does winterizing a house consist of?

The process of winterizing will involve fully purging the home's plumbing system of water. This includes emptying the water heater, draining all of the piping, and filling the various fixtures with an anti-freeze solution.

Who do I call to winterize my house?

Call your local home service professionals, like Petro Home Services. Petro is staffed with fully-trained and experienced technicians that will be happy to help you avoid costly winter season problems with your heat and/or winterizing your home properly.

How much does it cost to have someone winterize your sprinkler system?

The national average cost of sprinkler winterization is $90, with most sprinkler systems costing $60 to $120 to winterize. However, homeowners with large yards that contain many watering zones may pay as much as $275. Conversely, homeowners with tiny systems may pay as little as $45.

How Much Does It Cost to Winterize a House?

How much does winterization cost?

The cost to winterize a house is $250 on average, but it can cost between $65 and $1,000 or more depending on the extent of work you need done.

Who to hire to winterize sprinkler system?

A certified irrigation specialist will make sure that your entire system is winterized, blown out, and shut down at the end of the season, preventing any weather-related damage from occurring.

Do plumbers winterize homes?

Your local Mr. Rooter® Plumbing can take the stress off by helping you close up your vacation home by winterizing your plumbing system.

Do you leave faucets open after winterizing?

Pipes: Turn off water supply to the house and drain pipes to protect them from freezing. You can empty pipes by running the water and flushing the toilets after the water has been turned off. After draining the pipes, it is a good idea to leave the faucets open to prevent pressure build up from any water that remains.

How long does it take to winterize a house?

In conclusion, knowing how to winterize a vacant house isn't the easiest task for a do-it-yourselfer. For homeowners with basic mechanical skills and knowledge, and the needed tools and equipment, it can take 4 to 8 hours. A professional plumber can do all of this in about 30-60 minutes.

How do I prepare my house for winter freezing?

Protect faucets, outdoor pipes, and pipes in unheated areas with pipe insulation. In a pinch, wrapping them with rags, newspapers, trash bags, plastic foam or even bubble wrap can add needed protection. Cover any vents around your home's foundation. Drain water hoses and store them in a garage or shed.

What happens if you don't winterize your home?

Water expands as it freezes, so if it freezes inside a pipe, it can blow out the walls of the pipe and cause a huge leak. Repairing water damage from a frozen, burst pipe is an expensive and time-consuming task. Luckily, you can greatly reduce the risk of frozen pipes with good winterization.

How much to winterize a porch?

The average cost of material to winterize your screened porch is $7 to $10 per square foot. You can also expect to pay an additional $5 in labor costs. Enclosing the screened porch into a sunroom could cost you around $150 to $300 per square foot.

What does winterization include?

Winterization should include all of the following: Cleaning the toilets and draining all plumbing, heating systems or any other areas of the property that contain water that can potentially freeze and cause damage.

How do you drain water to winterize a house?

After shutting off the main water supply valve, open all faucets within the home and drain the system. Oatey Tip: In multilevel homes, drain the system from the lowest level and allow gravity to do the job. In single-level homes, drain from the tap closest to the main shutoff valve.

Does leaving faucets dripping prevent pipes from freezing?

Indoor pipes running along an exterior wall should be wrapped with pipe insulation. Exposed pipes should be protected with heat cable because pipe insulation by itself won't prevent freezing, However, if pipe insulation is all you have and temperatures aren't too extreme, letting the faucet drip can definitely help.

How to winterize plumbing in a vacant house?

Steps to winterize your vacant house
  1. Shut off the water at the street. ...
  2. Give some attention to your water heater. ...
  3. Open up the lowest faucets on your property. ...
  4. Drain the system. ...
  5. Pour environmentally safe, biodegradable antifreeze into each of the drains. ...
  6. Tape the toilets shut and post signage.

What happens if you don't cover your faucets in the winter?

The Importance Of Winterizing Outdoor Faucets

Experts recommend insulating outdoor faucets to prevent damage to pipes from freezing temperatures. A burst spigot can lead to water flowing against the side of the house or even making its way inside.

Which house pipes most likely to freeze?

No matter the strength of a container, expanding water can cause pipes to break. Pipes that freeze most frequently are: Pipes that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines.

Who is responsible if pipes freeze?

A professionally prepared lease agreement will often require the tenant to keep the unit heated to 60 degrees. If the pipes freeze, then under this lease agreement, the tenant may be responsible not only for their personal property but also the damage to the leased premises.

What is the average cost for sprinkler winterization?

The cost to winterize a sprinkler system is $91 on average, but it can cost between $56 and $133. Winterizing your sprinkler system costs $91 on average, but you can expect to pay between $56 and $133 for this service.

How much do sprinkler companies charge per hour?

Lawn irrigation repair typically costs between $55 and $120 per hour. Most homeowners find themselves paying around $90 for the hourly labor. It's important to note that these figures don't include the cost of parts that may need replacement or fixing.

How long does sprinkler winterization take?

Typically each zone takes about two to three minutes to blow out. Time should also be allowed for the contractor to set up and take down. As an example, if you have a five-zone irrigation system, you can expect the total time — including setup and takedown — to take around 20 – 25 minutes.

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