Most owners don't know where the main shutoff is until they need it, and a pipe can release hundreds of gallons in hours.
Water damage restoration play · Freeze and burst pipe prevention
Freeze warning postcards that reach older homes before the pipes do.
Burst pipes arrive in a rush with the first deep freeze. Spur finds older homes with exposed plumbing, writes a short prevention card for each owner, and mails it a week before the cold, with your 24/7 number and a QR code, so you are the helpful name when a pipe lets go.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
USPSFirst-Class
Ron Beaulieu88 Pearl StManchester, NH 03104Scan for the freeze checklist and our number
Ron B. scanned your freeze checklist card · 3 min ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
7 daysbefore the first hard freeze is when cards should land
250 gal/daycan escape from a 1/8-inch crack in a frozen pipe, per insurer guidance
Pre-1980homes more often have pipes in exterior walls and crawlspaces
The problem
The freeze arrives in a day, and the burst pipe is discovered after the damage is done.
Ads that run during and after the freeze compete with every other restorer. A card that arrives first builds trust.
Mailing every house in the zip reaches newer, better-insulated homes that rarely freeze.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps from the first cold snap to a saved contact.
app.usespur.com
See it in Spur
A freeze list in Spur
Sample Manchester, New Hampshire homes built 1920–1979, pulled for a November freeze-prevention mailing. Names are partly masked.
Zips 03104 + 03102Owner-occupiedBuilt 1920–1979Single-familyCrawlspace or unheated addition
- Ron B.88 Pearl StBuilt 1953 · crawlspaceOwned 26 yrs
- Jean & Paul C.412 Hall StBuilt 1938 · unheated porchOwned 31 yrs
- Alicia M.17 Laurel StBuilt 1962 · crawlspaceOwned 9 yrs
- Walt & Dot G.230 Wilson StBuilt 1947 · exterior-wall pipesOwned 40 yrs
- Sam K.95 Rimmon StBuilt 1970 · crawlspaceOwned 12 yrs
AI draft for Ron B. · 88 Pearl St
Hi Ron,
A hard freeze is on the way, and houses on Pearl Street, built mostly in the 1950s, often have water lines along exterior walls and through the crawlspace, the spots that freeze first.
A few small steps help: open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, let a faucet drip on very cold nights, and make sure you know where the main shutoff is. A leaking pipe can release hundreds of gallons in hours.
If something does go wrong, call us any hour. Scan the code to save our number and get a one-page checklist.
Tess Moran · Granite State Restoration · 24/7 (603) 555-0114
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How to market burst pipe prevention without selling fear
Frozen pipes are one of the most predictable causes of water damage. When the temperature drops far below freezing, water inside supply lines can freeze and expand, and a pipe can crack. The damage is often not discovered until the thaw, when the pipe leaks. By then, hundreds of gallons may have soaked drywall, insulation, and flooring.
That predictability makes freeze prevention a good marketing moment. Owners are ready to hear practical advice right before the cold arrives, and a card that offers a short checklist feels like a favor rather than an ad. The tone matters: be calm, specific, and useful, and put your 24/7 number at the bottom.
Target by exposure. Homes built before 1980 are more likely to have supply lines in exterior walls, unheated crawlspaces, or additions with little insulation. Vacation homes and rentals are particularly at risk if no one is there when the temperature drops. Owner-occupied homes with long ownership are the most likely to keep a helpful card.
Timing is the whole game. A card that arrives a week before the first hard freeze is useful. A card that arrives after is noise. Set a standing early-November mailing, and keep a second campaign ready so you can send it quickly if the forecast turns early. Spur lets you approve and mail within days of a forecast change.
Give the card a reason to be kept. A checklist with four steps, a note about where the shutoff usually is, and a QR code that saves your number is something a homeowner will put on the fridge. Follow up with scanners in late winter with a spring plumbing check reminder, which also helps your plumbing and restoration partners.
Remember the aftermath. A freeze produces a wave of claims in the days after the thaw, and your crews will be at capacity. Preparedness cards sent in advance help you in two ways: they build trust with owners who call you first, and they spread demand by prompting a few to take preventive steps. Plan staffing around the cold snap, not after it.
9×+return on a year of Spur Team from two burst-pipe mitigation jobs
One burst-pipe job covers the whole campaign.
- Spur Team: $49/mo billed annually = $588/yr
- 800 freeze cards on Team at $0.94 each = $752
- 2 burst-pipe mitigation jobs (~$5,000 each, often insurance-paid) ≈ $10,000
Example math. Job size, insurance payment, and close rate vary. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual winter restoration marketing
What you needThe usual waySpur
Mailed a week before the freezeAds that run after pipes burst✓ Built in
Checklist the owner keepsA coupon that gets thrown out✓ Built in
Targeted to older and exposed homesEvery door in the zip✓ Built in
QR scan saves your numberA phone number nobody writes down✓ Built in
Repeats automatically every NovemberRemember to reorder✓ Built in
Freeze Prevention by the numbers
Why freeze prevention is a trusted message
250 gal/day
can leak from a 1/8-inch crack in a pipe, per commonly cited insurer guidance
24–48 hrs
is how quickly mold can begin to grow on materials left wet
9×+
return on a year of Spur Team from two burst-pipe mitigation jobs
FAQ
Freeze and burst pipe campaign questions
When should I mail freeze warnings?
About a week before the first hard freeze, usually early November in northern markets. Spur lets you schedule a standing campaign and launch a backup if the cold comes early.
Which homes should get the card?
Homes built before 1980, homes with crawlspaces or unheated additions, and vacation homes. Spur filters by build year, ownership, and occupancy.
Is a freeze warning card too salesy?
Not if it leads with a short checklist and keeps the sales language out. Owners keep useful cards and remember the name on them.
Can I mail only after a cold snap is forecast?
Yes. Save a ready campaign and approve it as soon as the forecast turns. Spur prints and mails first-class, usually within two business days.
Keep exploring
Related plays and guides
Start in minutes. No card required.
Warn them before the freeze, and be the call when a pipe lets go.
Schedule your November freeze campaign once and let Spur mail it every year. Free to start.
Schedule my freeze campaign — freeFree forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
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