Winterizing a Summit County Second Home: 8 Things to Do Before You Leave

A frozen pipe in an empty mountain house can run for days before anyone notices. Before you close up for the season, do four things first:

1. Install a remote temperature and moisture alarm.

2. Know where the water shutoff is.

3. Put a snow-removal and property-watch contract in writing.

4. Read your insurance policy's vacancy and unoccupancy language.

The checklist below fills in the details.

The checklist

1. Temperature and moisture alarms. Leave the thermostat at a setting your plumber and insurer are both comfortable with; ask both, since policies and equipment requirements can vary. Add a Wi-Fi thermostat or standalone sensors that alert your phone and a local contact to low temperatures or water on the floor. The alarm matters more than choosing a generic setpoint. A furnace failure during a cold snap can allow pipes to freeze before anyone knows.

2. Main water shutoff. Find it, tag it, and make sure your caretaker or property manager can reach it. If the house will sit empty for weeks, ask your plumber whether to shut the main and drain down, or leave water on so a fire sprinkler or boiler system stays supplied. The answer depends on the house and its systems.

3. Heat tape. Test it before the first storm. Cable on a roof edge or in a gutter should be installed and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure the circuit and GFCI protection are functioning properly and that your caretaker knows what to check if power is interrupted.

4. Snow removal and property watch, in writing. Specify the trigger depth, the driveway and walks, roof valleys if you want them, and where plowed snow goes. Colorado law prohibits placing obstructions on public highways, and CDOT specifically warns property owners and private snow-removal operators not to deposit snow onto public roadways or rights-of-way. (CDOT snow-removal guidance)

5. Know your roof's snow-load requirements and who handles snow removal. Don't rely on a generic Summit County number. Roof design requirements vary by location and property, and an existing home's permitted design information is more useful than a broad neighborhood estimate. If you're unsure what your roof was designed for or whether accumulated snow needs removal, ask Summit County Building Inspection or a qualified structural professional.

6. HOA winter responsibilities. Pull your declaration and rules and confirm who handles what: common-drive plowing, roof shoveling on attached units, heat tape on shared roofs, and any required minimum heat setting. Summit townhome and condo HOAs can divide these responsibilities differently, and that split matters when something goes wrong.

7. STR license and insurance. If you rent short-term in unincorporated Summit County, check the County's current STR licensing status and renewal requirements before leaving the property for the season. Summit County's STR program has specific license types, booking limits, overlay-zone requirements, and renewal procedures that can change. (Summit County STR information)

8. Utility and outage links on your phone. Don't assume the same utility serves every Summit County property. Confirm the electric provider on your bill or through your property manager, then save the provider's outage-reporting information and emergency number.

For a pre-winter walkthrough, our local network lists home inspectors and other local service providers who work in the mountain communities. If you'd like to talk through your own house before you head out, book a time with one of our advisors. We're here all winter.

This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed for accuracy before publication. Property-specific maintenance requirements, insurance coverage, snow-load requirements, HOA responsibilities, STR licensing, and utility information should be independently verified with the appropriate professionals and current local authorities.

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