Plumbing in Michigan fails at the freeze. Supply lines in outside walls, crawl spaces, and closed cottages burst when a cold snap follows a mild week that left the pipe full. Hose bibs split. Kitchen sinks on an exterior wall go quiet and then leak when the ice lets go. Know the main shutoff before that night. If water is running where it should not, shut it off if you can and then call.
Thaw is the second failure. Joints that held all winter weep when the pipe moves. Old galvanized lines narrow and then pinhole. Cast iron in older houses cracks or rusts at the hub. A cable can open a stoppage and still leave a broken pipe, so say whether you need a clearing or a repair. Sump pumps take the melt that clay will not carry off the foundation.
Water heaters quit on the coldest mornings or leak when the tank is finished. Gas or electric, tank or tankless, are different calls. Venting, the pan, the shutoff, and the discharge line belong in the same conversation as the vessel. Say the fuel, and say if the hot water is gone or only leaking.
Wells and septic lines serve many houses outside city water, and a frozen well line is a different call from a city main. Say that first. Indoor leaks still come down to supply or drain, which floor, and whether the shutoff works. A faucet or a toilet stays a smaller job until a valve will not close. If a claim may follow, shut the water off and photograph before a wall is opened.
Say burst, clog, or water heater, and name the town. If the house is a seasonal camp, say whether it was drained. A hose bib left charged through a cold snap is a common split, so mention the outside faucet too. Call the number on this page.