NORTHERN LIGHTS CUSTOM SERVICES, LLC
WINTERIZATION AND SPRING STARTUP ADDENDUM
Version 1
Effective: September 25, 2026
W-1. APPLICATION AND PRECEDENCE. These Terms apply to winterization, seasonal shutdown, and spring startup services performed by Northern Lights Custom Services, LLC ("Seller") for the customer named on the Proposal ("Customer"). They supplement the Project Terms and Conditions of Sale referenced on the Proposal (the "Base Terms"). Where these Terms and the Base Terms conflict, these Terms control; where these Terms and the Proposal conflict as to scope, price, or schedule, the Proposal controls. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in the Base Terms.
These Terms are published at the address stated on the Proposal and are incorporated into the Agreement by reference. Seller will furnish a paper or PDF copy at no charge on request. These Terms apply only to the Season named on the Proposal; services are proposed and accepted separately each season, and nothing obligates either party to a future season.
W-2. DEFINITIONS. “Winterization Services” and “Spring Startup Services” are the tasks listed in the Scope of the applicable Proposal. “Season” runs from completion of the Winterization Services to completion of the Spring Startup Services. “Systems” means the plumbing supply, drain, waste and vent piping, fixtures, appliances, water treatment equipment, well and pressure equipment, and any other water-bearing equipment at the Property. “Systems List” is the table of systems included in the Proposal under Section W-4. “Scope” is the itemized list of tasks on the face of the Proposal.
W-3. NATURE OF THE SERVICE AND INHERENT RISK. READ THIS SECTION BEFORE SIGNING. IT DESCRIBES RISKS THAT CANNOT BE ELIMINATED BY CAREFUL WORK.
(a) Draining a plumbing system, leaving a building unheated through a Wisconsin winter, and returning that system to service in the spring carry inherent risks. Water cannot be removed completely from every line, trap, valve, fitting, fixture, appliance, or piece of equipment. Small amounts of residual water can freeze, expand, and crack pipe, fittings, valves, water heaters, pumps, tanks, and fixtures.
(b) Failures commonly do not appear until the system is repressurized, and may appear hours or days after Spring Startup Services are performed.
(c) An unheated, unoccupied building is also subject to conditions unrelated to plumbing, including frost movement, ice damming, roof snow loading, condensation, mold growth, rodent and insect intrusion, and failure of equipment left in place.
(d) Seller does not warrant, guarantee, or insure against any of these outcomes. Seller’s obligation is to perform the tasks expressly listed in the Scope of the Proposal in a good and workmanlike manner, and nothing more.
W-4. SYSTEMS LIST; CUSTOMER REVIEW. The Proposal includes a Systems List identifying the plumbing systems, lines, fixtures, appliances, water treatment equipment, and buildings that the Winterization Services cover. Seller prepares the Systems List from information Customer provides and from what Seller observes during an ordinary walk-through of the Property.
(a) Preparing the Systems List is not a property inspection. Seller does not test, dismantle, or open finished surfaces, and has no duty to search out or discover any system, line, fixture, appliance, or equipment that is concealed, inaccessible, or not reasonably apparent on an ordinary walk-through.
(b) Customer is responsible for reviewing the Systems List before accepting the Proposal and for telling Seller about anything missing from it. Customer knows the Property, its history, and its additions and alterations better than Seller can learn from a walk-through.
(c) The Systems List defines what the Winterization Services cover. Any system, line, fixture, appliance, or building that is not on the Systems List is not winterized and is not included in the price. Seller is not responsible for loss or damage arising from anything omitted from the Systems List, except to the extent the omission resulted from Seller’s failure to list something Customer identified to Seller in writing before the Proposal was accepted.
(d) Customer will also tell Seller, before the Winterization Services are performed, about any known leak, prior water damage, prior freeze damage, or line that has frozen in the past, and any plumbing, heating, or water treatment work installed or modified by Customer or by others. These are matters Seller cannot learn from a walk-through, and Seller relies on Customer for them.
Where the Systems List identifies a system that is present at the Property but not included in the Winterization Services, that system is excluded and Customer is responsible for winterizing it or arranging for it to be winterized.
W-5. SITE CONDITIONS AND EXISTING COMPONENTS. Pricing assumes existing valves, drains, fittings, fixtures, and equipment are present, accessible, and functional. Corroded, seized, or worn shutoffs, drain valves, hose bibs, water heater drains, and supply lines can fail when operated, even when operated correctly. Seller is not responsible for the failure of an existing component to hold, seat, seal, or drain, or for damage resulting from operating one in the ordinary course of the Winterization Services. If a component fails or is found inoperable, Seller will notify Customer; repair or replacement is additional work, quoted separately.
W-6. POWER AND WATER SUPPLY. Where the Property is served by a private well, the water supply is electrical: with the well pump de-energized, no water is available to the plumbing. Unless the Scope states otherwise, Seller de-energizes and tags the breakers serving the well pump, the water heater, and any other water-supply equipment, and does not de-energize the main breaker.
Where the Scope does include turning off the main disconnect, Customer acknowledges that doing so also disables sump pumps and drain tile pumping, septic lift stations, refrigerators and freezers and their contents, security, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide and freeze alarms, cameras, thermostats and remote monitoring, heat tape, and every other electrically powered device at the Property. Customer accepts those consequences, directs Seller to de-energize the Property, and is solely responsible for removing perishables and anything else that will be harmed by loss of power.
W-7. NO HEAT; NO MONITORING; NO DUTY TO INSPECT. Unless the Proposal expressly includes it, Seller does not maintain heat, monitor temperature, water intrusion, or any alarm, visit or check the Property during the Season, respond to an alarm or a report of a problem, or arrange snow removal or any other service. Seller has no duty to discover, investigate, or report any condition at the Property during the Season. Periodic checks, monitoring, and response are available only if purchased under Section W-14.
W-8. ACCESS BY OTHERS; ALTERATION AFTER SERVICE. The Winterization Services are effective only so long as the Property and Systems remain as Seller left them. Seller is not responsible for loss or damage arising after any person other than Seller enters and operates, restores, alters, or interferes with the plumbing, electrical, heating, or water supply systems, or occupies or uses the Property, during the Season. Customer will notify every person who has access that the Property has been winterized, that the tagged breakers serving the water supply are off, and that they must not be energized.
W-9. ENERGIZING THE WATER SUPPLY.
IF THE WELL PUMP, WATER HEATER, OR ANY OTHER WATER-SUPPLY EQUIPMENT IS ENERGIZED WHILE THE PLUMBING SYSTEM IS DRAINED AND OPEN, WATER MAY FLOW UNCONTROLLED INSIDE THE BUILDING AND CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE.
The breakers Seller de-energizes and tags must remain off until Spring Startup Services have been performed, or until Customer has confirmed with Seller that it is safe to energize them. Customer will not energize them and will not permit any other person to energize them. Restoring general electrical service at the main panel is not itself a problem, provided the tagged breakers stay off. Seller is not liable for any loss or damage arising from the energizing of the well pump, water heater, or other water-supply equipment by any person other than Seller.
W-10. CUSTOMER PREPARATION. Before the scheduled service date Customer will remove all perishable food and anything that will be damaged by freezing or loss of refrigeration; remove or secure valuables, firearms, medications, and documents; remove or separately winterize watercraft, RVs, and equipment; provide keys, codes, and access information; ensure the driveway and entries are passable; and make the disclosures required by Section W-4.
W-11. VACANCY; INSURANCE; WAIVER OF SUBROGATION. Customer acknowledges that the Property will be unoccupied and unheated during the Season, and that many property insurance policies contain vacancy, heat maintenance, or water shutoff conditions that can reduce or void coverage. Customer is solely responsible for notifying its insurer of the seasonal vacancy and complying with every policy requirement.
Customer will maintain property insurance on the Property and its contents at not less than full replacement cost, including coverage for water damage and for mold or other fungi resulting from water damage, in force throughout the Season, and is responsible for confirming that resulting mold is covered and for any sublimit that applies. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Customer waives, and will cause its insurer to waive, all rights of subrogation against Seller for any loss covered by that insurance, whether or not caused in whole or in part by Seller’s negligence. Customer’s property insurance is the primary source of recovery for loss of or damage to the Property and its contents.
W-12. EQUIPMENT REMOVAL AND DELIVERY. Where the Scope includes removing equipment, Seller will deliver it as directed on the Proposal. Seller’s responsibility ends on delivery, and Seller is not responsible for the equipment’s storage or security afterward, or for the acts of anyone who accepts it on Customer’s behalf. If no one is available to receive it, Seller may leave it in a reasonably secure place at the Property or with an alternate Customer designates, and will tell Customer where it is. Customer may instead direct in writing that removed equipment stay at the Property at the Customer’s risk. Where Seller transports or stores it, Seller’s liability for loss or damage while it is in Seller’s possession is limited to the cost of repairing or replacing the item; Section W-16 governs all other loss. If removed equipment is not available or is damaged when Seller returns to reinstall it, Seller's startup obligations for that equipment end, and replacement or repair is Customer's responsibility.
W-13. SCHEDULING AND SEASONAL DEADLINES. Winterization Services must be scheduled and performed before freezing conditions arrive, and Customer is responsible for requesting scheduling in sufficient time. Seller is not responsible for freeze damage occurring before the date it performs the Winterization Services, including damage during any delay caused by late scheduling, weather, access conditions, or Customer. Seller does not guarantee a specific date. If Seller cannot gain access at a scheduled time, or the Property is not prepared as required by Section W-10, Customer is charged Seller’s trip charge and minimum labor charge.
W-14. OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL SERVICES. The following are available at additional cost and are not included in the Proposal price. If Customer wants any of them, Seller will quote the service in writing and issue a revised proposal:
mid-season property checks — Seller visits on an agreed schedule and reports observed conditions;
temperature and water alarm monitoring — Seller installs and maintains a cellular sensor that alerts Customer, which requires a power source that remains energized through the Season; and
a spring startup repair allowance — Customer prepays an agreed amount toward repair labor performed at Spring Startup, up to an agreed limit. This is a service allowance, not insurance, and does not modify Section W-16.
Customer may request a written quotation for any of these at any time before or during the Season. Nothing in the Proposal price reflects any of them.
W-15. SPRING STARTUP SERVICES. Spring Startup Services are proposed, priced, and accepted separately. Customer acknowledges the following:
(a) Seller will pressure test the Systems and observe them for the period stated in the startup proposal before leaving. A test that holds does not guarantee the Systems are sound.
(b) Unless Customer directs otherwise in writing, Seller will leave the Systems charged but de-energize the well pump before leaving, so that water available to any later leak is limited to the volume stored in the pressure tank, and Customer energizes the well pump on arrival. If Customer directs in writing that the Systems be left fully pressurized with the pump in service, Customer accepts the risk of loss or damage from any leak or failure occurring after Seller leaves.
(c) Customer is responsible for arranging for the Property to be occupied or checked promptly after startup. Seller is not responsible for loss or damage from a leak or failure that appears after Seller has left.
(d) Water testing, shock chlorination, and confirming potability are not included unless expressly stated. Repair or replacement of any component that fails or is found damaged at startup is additional work, quoted separately.
(e) The discovery of damage at startup is not, by itself, evidence that the Winterization Services were performed improperly.
W-16. ASSUMPTION OF RISK AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. THIS SECTION LIMITS WHAT SELLER CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR AND CAPS THE AMOUNT SELLER CAN BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THESE SERVICES. IT IS A MATERIAL PART OF THE PRICE. READ IT BEFORE SIGNING.
(a) Assumption of risk. Customer understands the risks described in Section W-3 and accepts them as the owner of the Property. Customer is purchasing the performance of the tasks listed in the Scope. Customer is not purchasing a guarantee that the Property, the Systems, or their contents will come through the Season without damage.
(b) Damages excluded. To the fullest extent permitted by law, and under any theory of liability — whether in contract, warranty, tort (including negligence), strict liability, statute, or otherwise — Seller is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for loss of use, loss of rental income, diminution in property value, cost of alternate lodging, spoilage or loss of food or contents, or the cost of mold assessment or remediation.
(c) Cap on total liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Seller’s total aggregate liability for all claims arising out of or relating to the Winterization Services, the Spring Startup Services, or the Property will not exceed the greater of (i) the total price paid by Customer for the Winterization Services and Spring Startup Services for the Season in which the claim arose, or (ii) the proceeds actually available to Seller under Seller’s applicable liability insurance for the claim.
(d) What this Section does not limit. This Section does not limit Seller’s liability for bodily injury or death, for damage caused by Seller’s willful, wanton, reckless, or intentional misconduct, or for any liability that cannot be limited under Wisconsin law.
(e) Basis of the bargain; opportunity to bargain. Customer acknowledges that the price stated in the Proposal reflects this allocation of risk; that Seller has made Customer aware of the additional services described in Section W-14 — mid-season property checks, temperature and water alarm monitoring, and a spring startup repair allowance — which are available at additional cost and for which Seller will furnish a written quotation and a revised proposal on request; that Customer was free to request any of those services, or to negotiate different terms, before signing; and that Customer has chosen to accept the Proposal as written. Customer further acknowledges having read this Section and understanding that it limits rights Customer would otherwise have.
(f) Insurance is primary. Customer’s property insurance is the primary source of recovery for loss of or damage to the Property and its contents, and Section W-11 applies to any such loss.
W-17. WARRANTY FOR THESE SERVICES. This Section replaces the warranty section of the Base Terms as it applies to Winterization Services and Spring Startup Services. Seller warrants only that the tasks expressly listed in the Scope were performed in a good and workmanlike manner. Seller does not warrant the Systems, the Property, its contents, or any result or outcome, and specifically does not warrant that the Systems will be undamaged or serviceable at Spring Startup. There is no warranty of result.
If Customer notifies Seller in writing within twelve (12) months after the Winterization Services were performed that a listed task was not performed in a good and workmanlike manner, Seller’s sole obligation and Customer’s sole and exclusive remedy is, at Seller’s option, to re-perform that task or refund the portion of the price allocable to it.
THIS EXPRESS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, AND REPRESENTATIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
W-18. DOCUMENTATION. Seller documents these services with dated photographs and notes in its work order system and will provide a copy on request. Those records show specific conditions Seller observed while performing the listed tasks. They are not a property inspection, a condition report, or a representation about any part of the Property not shown in them, and Seller assumes no duty to inspect by making them.
W-19. ACKNOWLEDGMENT. By accepting the Proposal, Customer confirms having had the opportunity to read these Terms in full, ask questions, and request different terms, additional services, or broader protection.