P-2Pipes · frozen pipes
What should you do about a frozen pipe in NYC?
For frozen pipes in NYC, open the faucet and warm the pipe gently, never with an open flame; if it bursts, close the house control valve and call a licensed plumber.
Which building is yours?
- Prewar walk-upTell the super or owner the moment a tap stops or a pipe looks frosted; the pipes, the meter and the heat that protects them are the owner’s duty.
- Brownstone or row houseAs owner you protect the pipes and the meter; DEP bills you if a meter breaks because reasonable steps were not taken. Shut and drain outdoor faucets.
- Co-op or condo high-riseReport a frozen riser or burst pipe to the property manager at once; a burst pipe is building-wide work the co-op handles.
- Two-family houseThe owner protects the pipes and meter for both floors. Make sure the tenant knows where the house control valve is in case one bursts.
- New-build condoThe condo board handles common pipes; pipes inside your unit may be yours under the bylaws. Keep heat on when you travel.
Which building are you in, and whose pipe is it?
Who acts depends on whose pipe froze. DEP says homeowners are responsible for protecting their pipes and water meters from freezing (DEP, Protect Your Pipes from Freezing). In a rental walk-up, that is the landlord. The Housing Maintenance Code also makes the owner keep the building in good repair and supply heat (Housing Maintenance Code). A tenant’s job is to report it fast. In a co-op high-rise, a 1994 Attorney General memo names fixing a burst pipe among the common services the building’s management provides. In a brownstone or a two-family house, you are the one who thaws it or calls the plumber.
How do you thaw a frozen pipe safely?
Open the faucet nearest the frozen spot first, so melting water has somewhere to go. Then warm the pipe gently, the way DEP describes, with a hair dryer or a heat lamp. If you can’t find the frozen spot, or the pipe won’t thaw, call a licensed master plumber.
What if the pipe has already burst?
Close the house control valve to stop the water. 311 says owners can close it to stop the flow while leaks are repaired (311, Water Service). The main valve sits near the meter, where the service pipe comes through the wall. In a rental, tell the super or owner at once, and call 311 if no one responds. NYC Emergency Management also says to call 311 if your meter is damaged or your pipes burst (NYC Emergency Management, winter weather). DEP says a frozen and broken pipe or service line must be repaired by a licensed master plumber. If water is near outlets or a ceiling is sagging, keep out of that room until it is safe.
Legend: the numbers on this plate
How do you stop pipes freezing in the first place?
DEP and NYC Emergency Management list the same few steps.
| Building | Step that matters most | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Prewar walk-up | Keep heat at the legal minimum; fix broken hall and basement windows | Owner; tenant reports drafts and broken glass |
| Brownstone or row house | Insulate basement pipes and the meter; shut and drain outdoor faucets | Owner |
| Co-op or condo high-rise | Keep heat on in empty units; report cold spots near exterior walls | Board, property manager and residents |
| Two-family house | Insulate pipes in crawl spaces and unheated rooms; drip a faucet in deep cold | Owner, with the tenant |
| New-build condo | Leave unit heat on when away; ask someone to run a faucet | Unit owner |
Insulate pipes and meters in unheated spaces, fix drafts and broken windows, and shut off and drain outside faucets before winter. In very cold weather, open faucets to a steady drip. If you will be away, DEP suggests having someone run a faucet now and then. Heat helps most. During heat season, October 1 through May 31, HPD’s floor is 62°F overnight whatever the weather, and 68°F in daytime hours once the outdoor reading drops under 55°F (HPD heat and hot water). A building that falls short is both a heat violation and a freeze risk. Heat season rules explains how to complain.
Who pays for a frozen meter or line?
The owner, in most cases. If a meter freezes and breaks because the owner did not take reasonable steps to protect it, DEP replaces it and bills the owner. If the service line between the main and the building leaks, DEP can serve a three-day notice. An owner who misses that deadline is fined $1,000, gets a ten-day notice, and can have the water shut off (311, water notices). DEP’s optional service line plan covers water line repairs for $84.84 a year on the bill. More on splitting repair costs is on who fixes what.
Questions people ask
Can a torch speed things up?
Never use a torch or any open flame. DEP warns it can start a fire or cause a steam explosion. Stick to a hair dryer or heat lamp, and call a licensed plumber if that doesn’t work.
Where is the house control valve?
It is on the service pipe near the water meter, where the line enters the building. Find it before winter, not during a flood.
My apartment is cold and the pipes froze. Who is responsible?
The owner. Heat and good repair are owner duties under the Housing Maintenance Code. Report to the super or owner, and if the heat stays below the minimum, call 311 for a heat complaint.
Is it worth leaving a faucet dripping?
NYC Emergency Management advises opening faucets to a steady drip in very cold weather so pipes do not freeze. Moving water is slower to freeze than still water in the pipe.
Does insurance or the city pay for a burst service line?
The city does not. The owner pays for repairs to the private line, and DEP offers an optional protection plan billed with the water bill. Home insurance terms vary, and we don’t cover them.
How this plate was drawn
Thawing steps, the open-flame warning and meter rules come from DEP’s frozen-pipe page, with NYC Emergency Management’s winter guidance and 311’s water service articles, all checked 11 Nov 2026. Heat minimums follow HPD. The service line plan and the 3-day notice fine show no effective date. Insurance and how a lease splits costs in a two-family house are left out.
Sources
- NYC DEP — Protect Your Pipes from Freezing · thawing, open-flame warning, owner responsibility, meter billing · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC Emergency Management — Winter Weather Health & Safety · dripping faucets, call 311 for burst pipes · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC311 — Water Service · closing the house control valve · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC311 — 3-Day or 10-Day Water Notice · service line leak deadlines and fine · checked 11 Nov 2026
- NYC HPD — Heat and Hot Water · heat season minimums · checked 11 Nov 2026
- New York Attorney General — GBL §352-eeee guidance, July 1994 · burst pipe as a building-wide repair · checked 11 Nov 2026
Plate P-2 · revised 11 Nov 2026