Short answer: first check whether the neighbors have water. If the whole street is out, the problem is the main, and the water system deals with it. If only your house is out, call the water utility before anybody digs, because the main and the curb stop are theirs and that call tells you which side the problem is on. Never thaw a pipe with an open flame.
A frozen water line is an emergency, but it is one with a clear order of steps. Most of the damage comes from acting out of order, such as digging before you know whose pipe it is, or using a torch on a pipe that is about to split.
What to do right now
- Check the neighbors. A whole street without water is the main. Just your house points at your service line.
- Call the water utility. The main and the curb stop at the property line are theirs. The service line from the curb stop to the house is yours. One call sorts that out.
- Open one cold tap a little. Running water relieves pressure in the line. It will not thaw a buried line, so treat it as a short-term step.
- Know where your main shutoff is. A frozen pipe often does not leak until it thaws, and then it can leak all at once. If water is coming through a ceiling or near the electrical panel, stay out of it and treat it as an electrical hazard.
- Never thaw a pipe with a flame. A torch on a frozen pipe can start a fire. Interior pipe is the only part you should try to warm, and a buried line is not something to thaw yourself.
Our frozen or burst water line page has the same steps for a homeowner in the middle of a cold snap.
Why a service line freezes
New Jersey requires at least 42 inches of cover on a water service under N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.15. That is deeper than the 36 inch frost line. A service set shallower than that is the one most likely to freeze. Other causes we see:
- Frost went deeper than usual. Frost goes deeper the longer the cold lasts. A line only just below the frost line is the one a long cold spell reaches.
- An unheated space in the path. A crawl space, an attached garage, or a corner of a basement nobody heats. The inside part of the run can freeze even when the buried part is fine.
- The ground was disturbed. A recent dig, a new driveway, or regrading that removed soil from over the line can leave cover that used to be adequate no longer enough.
Thawing versus fixing
Thawing an indoor pipe is often worth doing. Thawing a buried line restores water today and does nothing about why it froze. If the run sits above frost depth it will freeze again on the next hard stretch, and a line that has already split will leak the moment it thaws. The real question is how deep the line actually is.
If the line needs replacing, our water service replacement page covers the work, and the cost page explains what moves the price.
Common questions
What do I do if my water line is frozen? Check whether the neighbors have water. If it is only your house, call the water utility, open one cold tap slightly, know where your main shutoff is, and do not put a flame near a pipe. Do not dig or thaw the buried line yourself.
Who is responsible for a frozen service line in New Jersey? Usually the water system owns the main and the curb stop at the property line, and the property owner owns the service line from there to the house. Your water system's own rules set where that line falls, so confirm it with them before an emergency.
How much does it cost to replace a water service line in NJ? It depends on the length of the run, the material, how hard the digging is, and whether the line has to cross a driveway or a mature tree. Our cost page shows what goes into the number.
Can you dig in frozen ground in winter? Yes. Frost slows the first foot or two, so winter work is not cheaper, but a house without water is not a job that waits for spring. Restoring a lawn opened in January takes time to look right.
Still not sure how this applies to your property? That is what a free on-site estimate is for. Call 862-268-2510 or tell us what is going on, and we will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
