Plumbing repair · Des Plaines, Illinois
Plumbing repair in Des Plaines, IL
Leak, backed-up drain, no hot water, or a frozen line? The largest share of Des Plaines's homes (23%) was built 1960 to 1969[1]. Request a licensed plumber who works here. Des Plaines, in Cook County — ZIPs 60016, 60018, counts 58,772 residents (2025 estimate)[2].
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The Des Plaines plumbing picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 58,772[2]-3.1% since 2020
- County
- Cook[2]
- Land area
- 14.2 sq mi[3]
- Decade the most homes date from
- 1960 to 1969[1]23% of housing units
- Homes built before 1980
- 71%[1]the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover
- Homes built 1980–1999
- 15%[1]2020–2024
- Homes built 2010 or later
- 6%[1]the 6th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover
- Winter-storm & freeze days, cook zone
- 20[4]2016–2025
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 71[4]18 flash floods, 2016–2025; flood-prone homes need working drainage and backflow prevention
- FEMA flood-insurance claims, local ZIPs
- 1,818[5]98 in the last 10 years; 1,515 paid
- Homes on utility gas heat
- 85%[1]gas piping work usually needs a permit and a licensed installer
Reading the Des Plaines data for plumbing
Des Plaines is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 58,772 people (2025 estimate), down just 3.1% since 2020[2]. It covers 14.2 square miles (4,128 residents per square mile, the 6th densest), sits entirely in Cook County, in ZIP codes 60016, 60018[3].
With 6% of homes built since 2010 and 71% before 1980[1], Des Plaines's plumbing runs from brand-new supply lines and fixtures to aging pipe, original valves and water heaters past their rated life.
2 ZIP codes cover Des Plaines — 60016 (57% of the city's land), 60018 (42% of the city's land)[6].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Arlington Heights (6.0 mi NW), Skokie (8.3 mi E) and Palatine (9.3 mi NW)[3].
71% of Des Plaines's 23,856 housing units predate 1980 and 6% went up in 2010 or later[1] — the 3rd-highest pre-1980 share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover; nearby, Arlington Heights (64%), Skokie (85%), and Palatine (58%) predate 1980. Houses that old can still have galvanized supply pipe or cast-iron drains — especially the 36% built before 1960.
The biggest single slice — 23% — was built 1960 to 1969, and the median home dates to 1966[1]. Neighbours from the same era tend to hit the same plumbing problems at the same time.
Freeze risk: the cook forecast zone logged 20 winter-storm, ice or hard-freeze days in 2016–2025; the latest was Dec 4, 2024[4].
Water from the sky is plumbing work too: 71 flood or flash-flood reports within 10 miles over 2016–2025[4], and FEMA logged 1,818 flood-insurance claims across Des Plaines's ZIPs[5]. Homes that take water need working drainage, sump pumps and backflow prevention.
85% of homes heat with utility gas, and 22% of households rent[1].
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Des Plaines records the 3rd-highest pre-1980 housing share (71%)[1] and the 3rd-oldest housing (by median year built) (1966)[1].
Des Plaines storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Des Plaines, 2016–2025: 18 flash-flood reports and 53 flood or heavy-rain reports[4]. Peak: spread out; May, June, and August held 59%. Busiest year 2018 (21). Busiest month May 2018 (10). Latest: flash-flood report, Aug 17, 2025, 5.3 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood & heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | 4 | 4 |
| Mar | – | 4 | 4 |
| Apr | – | 1 | 1 |
| May | 2 | 16 | 18 |
| Jun | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| Jul | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Aug | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Sep | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Oct | 1 | 6 | 7 |
Finding plumbing help around Des Plaines
Plumbing repair contractors taking requests around Des Plaines cover ZIP codes 60016, 60018.
Before you call: before the plumber arrives
Des Plaines by the numbers
| Measure | Des Plaines | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built before 1960 | 36.2% | 24.5% | 12 pts higher |
| Built before 1980 | 71% | 55% | 16 pts higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 71 | 56 | 15 more |
| Renter-occupied | 22% | 26% | 4 pts lower |
| Built 2010 or later | 6% | 6% | 1 pts higher |
| Utility-gas heat | 85% | 84% | about the same |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1977 | 11 years older |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered Chicago-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | Flood reports | NFIP claims |
|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines | 71 | 1,818 |
| Arlington Heights 6.0 mi | 47 | 91 |
| Skokie 8.3 mi | 68 | 362 |
| Palatine 9.3 mi | 36 | 152 |
| Schaumburg 9.4 mi | 44 | 40 |
| Evanston 10.6 mi | 56 | 25 |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60016 | 1,452 | $25,795,180 | 2008 (318) |
| 60018 | 366 | $10,772,702 | 2008 (112) |
ZIPs extend past city limits.
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2025 | Flash Flood | 7.2 mi |
| Aug 17, 2025 | Flash Flood | 5.3 mi |
| Aug 12, 2025 | Flash Flood | 9.5 mi |
| Jul 27, 2025 | Flash Flood | 8.8 mi |
| Jul 24, 2025 | Flood | 9.4 mi |
| Jul 24, 2025 | Flash Flood | 8.9 mi |
| Jan 31, 2025 | Flood | 8.5 mi |
| Jan 31, 2025 | Flood | 8.6 mi |
| Built | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 174 | 0.7% | ±120 |
| 2010 to 2019 | 1,370 | 5.7% | ±250 |
| 2000 to 2009 | 1,725 | 7.2% | ±315 |
| 1990 to 1999 | 1,774 | 7.4% | ±349 |
| 1980 to 1989 | 1,884 | 7.9% | ±284 |
| 1970 to 1979 | 2,926 | 12.3% | ±347 |
| 1960 to 1969 | 5,370 | 22.5% | ±419 |
| 1950 to 1959 | 4,993 | 20.9% | ±498 |
| 1940 to 1949 | 1,505 | 6.3% | ±248 |
| 1939 or earlier | 2,135 | 8.9% | ±381 |
ACS 2020–2024 estimates; margins of error are the Census Bureau's 90% intervals.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Housing units | 23,856 |
| Detached single-family | 14,022 (59%) |
| Occupied homes | 22,537 |
| Owner-occupied | 17,645 (78%) |
| Renter-occupied | 4,892 (22%) |
| Median home value | $335,600 |
ACS 2020–2024 estimates.
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility gas | 19,112 | 84.8% | ±629 |
| Electricity | 2,853 | 12.7% | ±401 |
| Other fuel | 223 | 1.0% | ±121 |
| Bottled or tank gas (propane, butane, etc.) | 172 | 0.8% | ±92 |
| No fuel used | 127 | 0.6% | ±75 |
| Wood | 20 | 0.1% | ±32 |
| Fuel oil, kerosene, etc. | 18 | 0.1% | ±29 |
| Solar energy | 12 | 0.1% | ±14 |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Des Plaines's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 60016 | 57% | 67% |
| 60018 | 42% | 36% |
Dated heat and freeze records for the COOK forecast zone: see the county list.
Des Plaines plumbing questions
Are Des Plaines homes likely to have old galvanized pipes?
Only an inspection can say, but age is the clue: 36% were built before 1960 and 71% before 1980[1].
How often do pipes freeze in Des Plaines?
The record for Des Plaines's forecast zone shows 20 winter-storm or freeze days over 2016–2025, in 5 different years[4].
Which ZIP codes are covered in Des Plaines?
60016 and 60018[6], in Cook County. Nearby suburbs with their own pages: Arlington Heights (6.0 mi), Skokie (8.3 mi), and Palatine (9.3 mi)[3].
Sources
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.