Winter Storm Uri (February 2021) drove OKC to -14°F with sustained subfreezing temperatures for 7+ days. Even with normal winters, attic and exterior wall plumbing in OK construction freezes regularly. Same-hour OKC dispatch, IICRC-certified.
Here's what to do — and what not to do — in the next 5 minutes. The window between the loss starting and significant structural damage is short.
OKC freeze events differ from NC ice storms — they're sustained-cold events rather than ice-accumulation events. The damage pattern follows OK construction.
Uri February 2021 produced sustained subfreezing for 7+ days. Pipes in attics, exterior walls, garages, and under slabs freeze when temperatures stay below freezing long enough for the surrounding mass to cool. OK code requires only minimal insulation around plumbing — what's adequate for normal winters fails in extreme events.
OK residential code permits attic-mounted plumbing in many construction types. Attic plumbing freezes first when interior heat fails — and when it bursts, water falls through ceilings into multiple rooms below.
Supply lines through uninsulated exterior walls freeze before interior plumbing. Bursts present as wet drywall on exterior walls, often tracking down to slab level.
OK is predominantly slab-on-grade construction. Supply lines beneath the slab freeze in extreme events; the resulting burst forces water up through the slab into the home. This is the most expensive scenario to restore.
Outdoor spigots without freeze-proof valves freeze regularly. Damage tracks back into the wall cavity before becoming visible inside.
Our IICRC-certified OKC crew arrives with extraction equipment, structural drying gear, attic access ladders, moisture meters, full PPE. In the first 60 minutes: water extraction, attic access to inspect burst location and surrounding insulation, moisture mapping, photographic documentation, isolation of the burst area, drying equipment positioning.
Over 24-48 hours: extraction of saturated attic insulation, controlled drying of subfloor and exposed framing, antimicrobial pre-treatment, daily moisture monitoring, demolition removal, contents inventory, coordination with adjuster and plumber.
We bill your insurance carrier directly so your out-of-pocket cost is typically just your deductible. We work with every major Oklahoma carrier including Shelter Insurance and Oklahoma Farm Bureau — and high-net-worth specialty carriers for custom-home losses.
Same-hour dispatch to all of these OKC-area cities. Our crews are local — we know the neighborhoods, the storm-shelter culture, the construction patterns, and the carriers.
Yes, in almost all cases. Standard homeowners covers sudden and accidental discharge from plumbing including freeze bursts. OK carriers honor these claims regularly — Uri 2021 produced record claim volumes statewide. We bill carriers directly under all major OK carriers.
Three factors: location of plumbing (attic vs interior wall vs under slab), insulation quality, whether you maintained interior heat during outage. Homes with generators rarely have bursts; homes that lost heat for 2+ days frequently do.
Insulate attic plumbing, drip faucets during freeze warnings, maintain interior temperature above 60°F during outages, consider whole-house generator for serious freeze events, install freeze-proof outdoor spigots, keep garage doors closed.
Burst sections cut out and replaced. Multiple bursts in one freeze event often justify zone or full repipe.
Single-burst loss with limited damage: 7-14 days mitigation plus 2-4 weeks reconstruction. Multiple bursts with extensive damage: 3-5 weeks mitigation plus 6-12 weeks reconstruction.
Same-hour IICRC-certified crew dispatch. Direct insurance billing. Free on-site assessment.