Since the code does not state what type of damage or the time frame before the damage occurs you have to consider humidity and mold too. The code does not state that the house has to be occupied either for ongoing damage monitoring purposes.

High humidity in a house will damage cabinets.
Water left for a period of time will cause mold which is very expensive to properly correct.

I saw one the other day where the water heater was on a platform with a pan and pipe in a storage room at the rear of the garage. The pan/pipe stubbed through the interior wall and terminated into the rear of the garage.

The TPR pipe went to the exterior so they could have put the pan pipe through the same location.