How much does it cost to winterize a vacant house?

Author: Matilda Herzog  |  Last update: Wednesday, May 7, 2025

The cost to winterize a house ranges from $50 to $1,500. You can DIY certain tasks for as low as $65, but you'll need to hire a winterizing pro for more complex projects, which can cost $1,000 or more.

How to winterize an unoccupied house?

  • shut off main water supply to the house;
  • drain all taps and toilet tanks;
  • if you have an electric central heating system, set it to the lowest possible setting to keep the house frost free (I'd have mine sink down to about ten Celsius degrees);
  • open all interior doors to ensure good ventilation;

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.

Should you turn off water in a vacant house?

Pipes, water heaters and other appliances can leak, or in freezing weather, pipes can freeze and burst, which can cause major damage in a home left unattended. If you are leaving for an extended period of time, the best protection is to have the water shut off and the water lines drained.

How Much Does It Cost to Winterize a House?

How do you keep pipes from freezing in an unoccupied house?

If you must leave the water on:

Then prepare your property with the following: Insulate pipes on exterior walls, crawl spaces & the attic. Open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate around un-insulated pipes under sinks & appliances. Let warm water drip overnight to keep pipes from freezing.

What to do with utilities when house is vacant?

You might think about canceling all utilities since no one is in the house. However, heat and electricity will need to stay on to keep the pipes from freezing, the lights on, and the security system online. Many other utilities may be canceled, such as phone or wifi service, but consider carefully about others.

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 to prepare a house for a long-term vacancy?

How to prepare your home for vacancy while you're away
  1. Secure your home. ...
  2. Enlist the help of a trusted “watchdog” ...
  3. Adjust your lighting. ...
  4. Set blinds to their default position. ...
  5. Stop or hold mail and deliveries. ...
  6. Maintain your yard. ...
  7. Be careful what you post. ...
  8. Prepare your home utilities.

Who to call to winterize a 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 winterization cost?

It costs $200 to $250 on average to winterize a home, but appliance repairs or replacements could increase your budget significantly. For savvy DIY homeowners, your entire winterization budget could be less than $65.

How do you winterize a house without utilities?

If you have turned off the water supply, drain your pipes of all water by opening the faucets, and flush your toilet to clear the water from the tank and bowl. Consider pouring antifreeze in toilet tanks and bowls to prevent any remaining water from freezing. Always use non-toxic antifreeze rated for plumbing systems.

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.

What is the best temperature to leave an empty house in winter?

In general, it's recommended to set your thermostat to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This may seem high compared to the freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but it'll help keep the interior of the floor and wall cavities – where your plumbing is often located – safely above freezing temperatures.

Why do unoccupied houses fall apart?

Water is one of the primary reasons that vacant or abandoned building will start to decay. If water from precipitation, such as rain or snow, gets inside the home and is not attended to, this can cause a lot of damage. Water damage can include dissolving drywall, rotting wood, rusted metal, and melted plaster.

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.

What happens when a house sits vacant?

Structural Damage

The other issue here is that when no one is living in the home, there's no one to notice early signs of damage, especially when it comes to things like water or pest damage. The most common structural damages to occur in a vacant home include: Leaky, broken, or frozen pipes. Mold.

How do I prepare my house for a long absence?

Make your house look lived-in
  1. Stop the newspaper and mail – or ask a trusted neighbor to pick them up.
  2. Park your car inside the garage, if you have one.
  3. Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway occasionally so there's activity at your house.
  4. Put at least one light in your house on a timer.

Who fills in when there is a vacancy in the house?

Typically, state governors—“the Executive Authority”— are authorized to issue orders for special elections to fill House vacancies. In contrast with the Senate, there is no constitutional provision for the appointment of interim Representatives.

Do you leave faucets open after winterizing house?

Leave cabinet doors (kitchen, bathroom or those that otherwise house pipes) open so that warm air can circulate inside the cabinets around the pipes. Shut off and drain outside water faucets and install faucet insulators that can be purchased at home improvement stores.

How do you winterize a vacant house with heat?

Turn down the heat

You don't want to turn your furnace off completely as this could cause your pipes to freeze and break. Instead, turn your thermostat down to about 60 degrees to keep your home systems and components near room temperature, where they are meant to be.

When should I schedule winterization?

The best time to schedule professional winterization for your underground sprinkler system is before the first freeze of the season. Ideally, you should aim to have your sprinkler system winterized in early fall before temperatures drop significantly.

Is it bad to leave a house empty?

Vacant homes are targets for theft and vandalism. Therefore, when a homeowner's mortgage payments become delinquent, one of the first things many lenders do to protect their interest in the property is to look into whether the owner has abandoned it.

Should you turn off the gas in an empty house?

Depending on how long your property is likely to stay vacant, turning off your utilities such as gas, electric and water could save you money and reduce the risk of issues occurring in the home due to leaks or water damage.

Do you have to pay bills on an empty house after?

Keep in mind that you will be billed for any electricity or water used while the house is vacant.

Previous article
Does plaster need to be sealed?
Next article
How can I heat my house without a heat pump?