The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

A hypothetical service business rents an end suite in a strip retail building in the Parker area. The suite's restroom and a break-room sink are on the rear exterior wall facing an open service drive. A programmable thermostat sets the suite to a low setback whenever the business is closed.

  1. The business closes Friday evening for a three-day holiday weekend. A strong cold front arrives Saturday.
  2. With the setback in place and wind along the open service drive, the break-room sink line in the rear wall freezes and splits.
  3. Water runs into the wall and under the vinyl plank flooring, then under the demising wall toward the next suite.
  4. On Tuesday morning an employee opens up, finds water across the back half of the floor, and cannot locate a shutoff for the suite.
  5. The employee calls the property manager, who sends maintenance to close a valve in a riser closet shared by several suites.
  6. Both tenants and the landlord notify their insurers.

Drying requires removing the floating floor in the back half of the suite and the lower drywall on the rear wall. The adjoining tenant has damp drywall along the shared wall. The lease turns out to make the tenant responsible for interior plumbing fixtures and the landlord for the building's supply lines, which leads to a discussion about where the break actually was.

What would have shortened this

  • A holiday thermostat setting no lower than the building's plumbing can tolerate on the coldest expected night.
  • Cabinet doors under the break-room sink left open before closing.
  • A labeled, accessible shutoff for the suite, known to every keyholder.
  • A leak sensor or temperature alert that notifies a phone over the weekend.
  • A weekend check by the owner or manager during forecast arctic weather.

Why commercial suites are tricky

Shared systems
Water may enter through a common riser, with shutoffs in a locked closet
Split responsibility
Leases divide plumbing, HVAC and finish work between landlord and tenant
Separate insurance
Building, tenant improvements, contents and business income are often on different policies
Neighbors
Water crosses demising walls and slabs into adjoining suites
Fire protection
Some buildings have sprinkler piping in cold spaces that the landlord maintains

Questions for a commercial tenant to ask the landlord

  1. Where is the shutoff for my suite, and will I have access to it at any hour?
  2. Who maintains the supply lines inside my walls versus the fixtures?
  3. Is there a minimum temperature the lease requires when the business is closed?
  4. Does the building have sprinkler or riser piping in unheated spaces, and who checks it in cold weather?
  5. What should my own policy cover, including business income if the suite must close for drying?

General information for Parker, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.