Water damage restoration · Waxhaw, North Carolina
Water damage restoration in Waxhaw, NC
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Waxhaw-area ZIPs: 9 flood claims since 1996[1]; 7% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Waxhaw, in Union County — ZIP 28173, counts 23,140 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Waxhaw at a glance for water damage
- Population (2025 est.)
- 23,140[3]+12.6% since 2020
- County
- Union[3]
- Land area
- 12.9 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 9 since 1996[1]$100,799 paid across 6 claims · ZIP 28173
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 5[5]2016–2025 · latest Aug 8, 2024
- Winter-storm & freeze days, union zone
- 11[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Homes built before 1980
- 7%[2]the lowest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 17%[2]2020–2024
What Waxhaw's numbers say about water damage
Waxhaw is one of the fastest-growing Charlotte-metro suburbs tracked here: 23,140 people (2025 estimate), up 12.6% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 12.9 square miles holding 1,790 residents per square mile, the 5th densest of the suburbs here; it sits entirely in Union County, with ZIP code 28173[4].
Waxhaw mixes 49% of homes built since 2010 and 7% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
One ZIP code covers the whole city: 28173[6].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Indian Trail (10.4 mi NE), Monroe (11.0 mi NE) and Matthews (12.7 mi N)[4].
9 flood-insurance claims have come from Waxhaw-area ZIP codes (28173) since 1996, and $100,799 has been paid on them (about $16,800 per paid claim)[1]. 2024 was the worst year, with 2 claims. That is the fewest of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Indian Trail (69), Monroe (37), and Matthews (33). Most jobs here start inside the house. Of the 9 claims rated in a flood zone, 2 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 7 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][7] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Waxhaw-area flood claims cluster in February (1), August (2), and September (2) — 5 of 9 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Waxhaw, weather observers filed 5 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (5 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: no flood declarations since 2000[8]. Nearby: Indian Trail (9), Monroe (4), and Matthews (15).
7% of Waxhaw's 7,084 housing units predate 1980[2] — the lowest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover (Indian Trail (9%), Monroe (39%), and Matthews (18%)). In newer houses, check fittings, washer hoses and the water-heater pan first — and any builder warranty.
Freeze days in the union zone: 11 in 2016–2025, latest Jan 21, 2025[5]. Nearby: Indian Trail (11), Monroe (11), and Matthews (16).
83% of Waxhaw households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Among the 14 suburbs tracked here, Waxhaw stands out for the fewest NFIP flood claims (9)[1], the lowest pre-1980 housing share (7%)[2], the newest housing (by median year built) (2010)[2], and the 2nd-fewest flood reports nearby (5, tied with Mooresville)[5].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
water damage help in Waxhaw: what to do next
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Waxhaw area — ZIP code 28173.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Waxhaw homes by building type
With 87%[2] of homes detached, most Waxhaw water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is attached house (townhouse, rowhouse): 492 of 7,084 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 6,165 | 87.0% | ±360 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 492 | 6.9% | ±182 |
| 5–9 units | 124 | 1.8% | ±181 |
| 10–19 units | 26 | 0.4% | ±41 |
| 20–49 units | 66 | 0.9% | ±69 |
| 50 or more units | 138 | 1.9% | ±116 |
| Mobile home | 73 | 1.0% | ±94 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Waxhaw numbers behind this page
| Measure | Waxhaw | Median of 14 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 9 | 39 | 30 fewer |
| Built before 1980 | 7% | 23% | 16 pts lower |
| Renter-occupied | 17% | 35% | 18 pts lower |
| Median home value | $549,400 | $387,950 | 42% higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 5 | 9 | 4 fewer |
| Owner-occupied | 83% | 65% | 18 pts higher |
| Median year built | 2010 | 1996 | 14 years newer |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered Charlotte-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Freeze days | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waxhaw | 9 | 5 | 11 | 7% | 17% |
| Indian Trail 10.4 mi | 69 | 9 | 11 | 9% | 22% |
| Monroe 11.0 mi | 37 | 4 | 11 | 39% | 38% |
| Matthews 12.7 mi | 33 | 15 | 16 | 18% | 36% |
| Mint Hill 17.3 mi | 37 | 20 | 16 | 29% | 17% |
| Harrisburg 26.1 mi | 161 | 28 | 18 | 9% | 8% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28173 | 9 | $100,799 | 2024 (2) | 7 of 9 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| February | 1 |
| March | 1 |
| April | 1 |
| July | 1 |
| August | 2 |
| September | 2 |
| October | 1 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 2024 | Flash Flood | 2.4 mi |
| Sep 9, 2023 | Flash Flood | 6.8 mi |
| Nov 12, 2020 | Flash Flood | 2.4 mi |
| Jul 13, 2019 | Flash Flood | 9.9 mi |
| Apr 30, 2016 | Flash Flood | 2.0 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Waxhaw's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 28173 | 100% | 11% |
Waxhaw water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Waxhaw?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Waxhaw-area ZIPs have 5 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Waxhaw ZIP codes do these crews cover?
28173[6], in Union County. Nearby pages: Indian Trail (10.4 mi), Monroe (11.0 mi), and Matthews (12.7 mi)[4].
When was the last flood report near Waxhaw?
Aug 8, 2024: a flash flood report 2.4 miles from the city center[5].
My Waxhaw home is fairly new — could the plumbing fixtures and water heater still be under warranty?
Possibly: 49% of Waxhaw's housing units were built in 2010 or later[2], the highest share of the 14 Charlotte-area suburbs we cover. Check your closing paperwork for warranties before paying for a repair.
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.