Leelanau County, Michigan · Suttons Bay Township
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Pipes freeze in Leelanau County on about 54 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 16% of the stock here, are most at risk.
October brings the most downpours to Leelanau County, part of 3.7 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
Sewage backups in Leelanau County spike on heavy-rain days, about 3.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Leelanau County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 2.91 inches, and about 89 freeze-thaw days a year mean ice dams in some winters.
33% of occupied homes in Leelanau County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Michigan county median of 29%.
With 12 muggy nights a year, mold in Leelanau County can appear within days of a leak. Dry first, then clean.
Local risk profile
With 15,759 homes and around 22,734 residents, Leelanau County is 347 square miles of northern Lower Michigan. Besides Suttons Bay Township, the county seat, the biggest communities are Greilickville, Suttons Bay and Northport. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 1988.
34/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Leelanau County ranks 78 of 83 Michigan counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Leelanau County ranks highest compared with other Michigan counties.
For frozen pipes, Leelanau County is a typical Michigan county, which is still plenty. From 2015–2024 it averaged 54 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 142 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 41st of 83 counties.
The longest cold spell was straight 36 days without the temperature rising above freezing, ending in March 2015. The coldest night reached about -17°F on February 20, 2015. Burst pipes usually show up when a spell like that breaks and the ice thaws.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 30 and the last spring freeze around May 9.
Rainfall is about average for Michigan. Of roughly 33.3 inches of yearly precipitation, the damage comes from the 3.7 days a year with an inch or more, ranked 46th of 83. August, September and October see the most. The single wettest day in the record: 2.91 inches, October 23, 2020. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.12 inches (through October 25, 2017).
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 89 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
38% of homes in Leelanau County predate 1980, below the Michigan county median of 58.4%, which ranks 82nd of Michigan's 83 counties.
Since 2000 the county has added enough housing that 29% of homes are that new. Modern PEX and copper rarely fail on their own; the leaks come from connections, appliances and storms.
33% date from 1980 to 1999, the window when polybutylene, a gray flexible plastic supply pipe, was used in some homes. It's prone to leaks at the fittings, so it's worth checking for in a house from those years.
With 39% of homes empty at survey time, landlords and seasonal owners should shut off the main or schedule checks in winter. An unheated vacant house is also where many policies limit freeze coverage.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 12 times a year here, above the Michigan county median of 10. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%. Basements can pass 60% on their own in summer, so a dehumidifier matters even without a leak, and anything wet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Leelanau County's occupied homes: 52% utility gas, 10% electric, 27% propane and 6% wood. Propane heat is more common here than the state median. Have chimneys swept and fuel-burning appliances serviced each fall, and keep three feet clear around stoves and space heaters.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Leelanau County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Every neighboring county gets more pipe-freeze nights than Leelanau. Delta County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Leelanau | Michigan median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 16% | 32% | 81 of 83 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 38% | 58% | 82 of 83 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 29% | 16% | 4 of 83 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.3% | 7.3% | 80 of 83 |
| Vacant homes | 39% | 20% | 16 of 83 |
| Wood or propane heat | 33% | 29% | 36 of 83 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 54/yr | 54/yr | 41 of 83 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 3.7/yr | 3.9/yr | 46 of 83 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 89/yr | 95/yr | 65 of 83 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 12/yr | 10/yr | 39 of 83 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Michigan county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Leelanau County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in August, September and October.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology