Cabin Winterization & Dewinterization in Big Bear Lake, CA

Leave for the Season Without Worrying About Your Pipes

Big Bear Lake has over 3,000 vacation cabins and second homes. Most of them sit empty through the coldest months of the year. Without proper winterization, an empty cabin with water in the pipes is a burst pipe waiting to happen.

We’ve winterized hundreds of cabins across the Big Bear Valley. Our winterization process drains every drop of standing water from your plumbing system and protects every trap and fixture from freeze damage. When you come back in spring, we dewinterize and get everything flowing again.

What Our Winterization Includes

This isn’t a five-minute drain-and-dash. Here’s exactly what we do:

1. Shut off the main water supply and open all faucets to drain standing water from supply lines
2. Blow out the entire system with compressed air — every supply line, every branch, every dead leg. Gravity draining alone leaves water in low spots and horizontal runs.
3. Drain the water heater completely and shut it down
4. Add RV-grade antifreeze to every trap — sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, floor drains, washing machine standpipes. This prevents trap seals from freezing and cracking.
5. Flush toilets and add antifreeze to bowls and tanks to prevent cracking
6. Disconnect and drain washing machine hoses and dishwasher supply lines
7. Shut off exterior hose bibs and drain the supply line back to the shutoff
8. Inspect for existing leaks or damage that should be repaired before you leave
9. Tag the system with a dated winterization sticker so you (or your property manager) know the status

Dewinterization: Getting Your Cabin Ready for Spring

When you’re ready to come back, we reverse the process:

1. Close all faucets and valves
2. Turn on the main water supply slowly to prevent pressure spikes
3. Flush all antifreeze from the system
4. Restart the water heater and verify operation
5. Check every fixture for leaks, test every drain
6. Run all appliances that connect to water
7. Inspect for any damage that occurred over the winter

Dewinterization takes about 60-90 minutes for a standard cabin.

Winterization Pricing

• Standard cabin winterization: $275 (up to 2 bathrooms, standard fixtures)
• Large homes / multiple bathrooms: $350–$500 depending on size and complexity
• Radiant heating system drain-down: add $125–$200
• Dewinterization: $175 (standard cabin)

Book both winterization and dewinterization together and save $50 on the package.

When to Winterize

Before the first hard freeze. In Big Bear, that’s typically late October to mid-November, but mountain weather is unpredictable. We start taking winterization appointments in early October and stay booked through November.

Don’t wait for the forecast to show 20 degrees. By then, every plumber on the mountain is slammed with emergency frozen pipe calls and winterization wait times stretch to 2+ weeks.

Who Needs Winterization

• Vacation homeowners who won’t be visiting until spring
• Rental property owners closing cabins for the off-season
• Snowbirds heading to the desert or coast for winter
• Anyone leaving a home unoccupied for more than 2-3 weeks during freezing months

If someone is living in the home full-time and keeping the heat on, you don’t need winterization — but you should still insulate exposed pipes and know where your main shutoff valve is.

What Happens If You Don’t Winterize

We get these calls every January and February: “I just came up to check on the cabin and there’s water everywhere.” A burst pipe in an unoccupied home can run for days or weeks before anyone notices. The result:

• Flooded floors, saturated subfloors, damaged drywall
• Mold growth in walls and under cabinets
• Destroyed furniture, appliances, and personal property
• Repair bills ranging from $5,000 to $50,000+

Winterization costs $275. Skipping it can cost fifty times that.