How much does it cost to winterize outdoor faucets?
Updated
Short answer
Winterizing the outdoor faucets yourself costs $0 to $15, which is a few insulated faucet covers, and takes 15 to 30 minutes. A plumber charges $50 to $150 to drain and winterize the outdoor lines. The job it prevents, a pipe that bursts inside the wall and leaks when spring comes, costs many times either figure, which makes this the best-value job on the fall list.
Cost breakdown
| Item | DIY | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $0 to $15 | included |
| Tools you may need to buy | none | included |
| Labor | your time | $50 to $150 |
| Total | $0 to $15 | $50 to $150 |
The DIY cost is the covers, and they last for years. Disconnecting the hoses and shutting the inside valves costs nothing at all. The plumber's price is for a visit to drain the lines, which makes sense when there are many faucets or inside shut-offs that are hard to find.
What drives the cost
- Whether you buy covers. A self-draining faucet with the hose off needs none, and the cover is a cheap extra layer for a cold climate.
- The number of faucets. A house with faucets on every side, plus a pool line or an outdoor kitchen, is where a plumber's visit starts to make sense.
- Inside shut-offs. If the faucets have inside valves you can't locate, a plumber finds and drains them, and shows you for next year.
- A vacation home. A property you won't see again until spring is worth a plumber's full winterizing, since there's nobody to notice a problem.
- Being late. The cost of skipping the job is a burst pipe in the wall, a plumber, a drywall repair and sometimes a mold cleanup, found in spring.
DIY vs. pro
This is as easy as a job gets, and the money says do it yourself. How often to winterize outdoor faucets is once a year before the first freeze, and the whole job is hoses off, hoses drained, inside valves closed, covers on. The only way to get it wrong is to miss a faucet around the back.
A plumber's $50 to $150 is fair for a house with many outdoor lines, for inside shut-offs you can't find, or for a vacation property. For most homes, the covers and an afternoon are the entire cost.
FAQ
How much do faucet covers cost?
A few dollars each, so $0 to $15 for a house, and they last for years.
Do I need a plumber to winterize outdoor faucets?
Not usually. Disconnecting the hoses and covering the faucets is a homeowner's job. A plumber makes sense for many faucets, hidden shut-offs or a vacation home.
What does it cost if a pipe bursts from a frozen faucet?
Far more than winterizing: a plumber, the drywall repair where the pipe runs, and whatever the water reached before it was found. The leak often shows in spring, inside the wall.
Are frost-free faucets worth it?
Yes, when a faucet is being replaced anyway. They drain themselves when the hose is off, which removes most of the risk. They still need the hose disconnected.