Last updated: 2026-09-26
Water Damage Lansing is a water damage restoration company that cleans up frozen and burst pipe water damage in Lansing, MI and the Greater Lansing area. Lansing averages 23.4°F in January, with sub-zero snaps most winters, and every cold wave brings a run of split pipes. In January 2026, Mid-Michigan plumbers reported pipes bursting, water lines breaking, and furnace failures that froze and flooded entire houses. A split supply line can release hundreds of gallons an hour until the main valve is shut.
What we do on the first visit
First, shut off the main water valve — usually where the service line enters the basement — and the power to any wet area. We'll walk you through both on the phone. A plumber repairs the pipe; we handle the water damage, and we can coordinate with yours.
On site, we trace where the water went. A pipe that bursts in an exterior wall or ceiling sends water down through insulation, drywall, and subfloor to the lowest point, often the basement. Moisture readings map the path so nothing wet is left sealed up.
Why pipes freeze in Lansing homes
Pipes freeze where cold air reaches them: supply lines in exterior walls, pipes in crawl spaces and unheated garages, lines near rim joists in basements, and hose bibs left connected. Older Lansing homes with little wall insulation are more exposed, and manufactured homes are the most exposed of all — the January 2026 cold wave hit them hardest where skirting had gaps and air reached the plumbing underneath.
The pipe usually splits during the freeze but doesn't leak until it thaws. That's why burst pipes are often found in the afternoon of the first warm day, or when someone returns to a house that sat with the heat turned down.
Ceilings, walls, and floors after a burst pipe
Burst-pipe water is usually Category 1 (clean) when it starts, so more can be dried in place than with a backup — if drying starts quickly. Sagging ceiling drywall is taken down for safety. Wet insulation in walls and ceilings is removed because it holds water against the framing. Hardwood can often be dried with specialty floor mats; laminate and carpet pad usually can't.
Is a burst pipe covered by insurance?
Usually. A sudden pipe burst is the classic covered event under a standard Michigan homeowners policy. The main exception is a vacant or unheated home: many policies exclude freeze damage if you didn't maintain heat or shut off and drain the water. Document the damage before cleanup and keep the plumber's invoice showing the failed pipe. See what to photograph for a claim.
What's included
- Phone guidance to shut off the main valve and power
- Moisture mapping along the water's path through the house
- Extraction of standing water on every affected floor
- Safe removal of sagging ceiling drywall
- Removal of wet insulation from walls and ceilings
- Hardwood floor drying where the floor can be saved
- Drying equipment with daily readings
- Coordination with your plumber and documentation for your insurer
What this costs
frozen & burst pipe water damage doesn't fit a single published price range, because the scope depends on what an on-site assessment of your specific property and situation finds. We give you a written scope and price after that free assessment, before any work starts.
When it needs doing
- Water dripping from a ceiling or running down a wall after a cold snap
- No water at a faucet during extreme cold, then a leak when it warms up
- A hissing sound in a wall or ceiling
- Water spreading in a basement from a line near the rim joist
- A house found flooded after sitting empty with the heat low
Related resources
These go deeper on the questions that come up most on this job: