Water damage restoration · Arlington Heights, Illinois
Water damage restoration in Arlington Heights, IL
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Arlington Heights-area ZIPs: 91 flood claims since 1978[1]; 64% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Arlington Heights, in Cook County — ZIPs 60004, 60005, counts 76,216 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
Request helpIs this a water-damage emergency?
Answer a few questions for a plan for the next hour.
The Arlington Heights water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 76,216[3]-1.9% since 2020
- County
- Cook[3]
- Land area
- 16.6 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 91 since 1978[1]$522,385 paid across 58 claims · ZIP 60004, 60005
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 47[5]2016–2025 · latest Aug 17, 2025
- Winter-storm & freeze days, cook zone
- 20[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Cook Co.
- 7[6]of 12 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 64%[2]the 5th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 26%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Arlington Heights data for water damage
Arlington Heights counts 76,216 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -1.9% since 2020[3]. The city spans 16.6 square miles at 4,587 residents per square mile (the 5th densest) and sits entirely in Cook County, served by ZIP codes 60004, 60005[4].
Arlington Heights mixes 2% of homes built since 2010 and 64% 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.
Mail to Arlington Heights goes through 2 ZIP codes — 60004 (63% of the city's land), 60005 (36% of the city's land)[7].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Palatine (3.5 mi W), Des Plaines (6.0 mi SE) and Schaumburg (7.1 mi SW)[4].
91 flood-insurance claims have come from Arlington Heights-area ZIP codes (60004, 60005) since 1978, and $522,385 has been paid on them (about $9,007 per paid claim)[1]. 1987 was the worst year, with 36 claims. That is the 4th-fewest of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Palatine (152), Des Plaines (1,818), and Schaumburg (40). Most jobs here start inside the house. Of the 85 claims rated in a flood zone, 21 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 64 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Arlington Heights-area flood claims cluster in March (5), July (14), and August (43) — 62 of 91 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Arlington Heights, weather observers filed 47 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (6 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 7 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Floodng (DR-4819, 2024)[6]. Nearby: Palatine (36), Des Plaines (71), and Schaumburg (44).
64% of Arlington Heights's 33,005 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 5th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover (Palatine (58%), Des Plaines (71%), and Schaumburg (53%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
74% of Arlington Heights households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
Arlington Heights storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Arlington Heights, 2016–2025: 6 flash-flood reports, 33 flood reports, and 8 heavy-rain reports[5]. Peak: spread out; May, June, and August held 57%. Busiest year 2018 (16). Busiest month May 2018 (9). Latest: flash-flood report, Aug 17, 2025, 8.7 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Mar | – | 3 | – | 3 |
| Apr | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| May | 1 | 12 | 1 | 14 |
| Jun | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Jul | – | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Aug | 3 | – | 3 | 6 |
| Sep | 1 | 3 | – | 4 |
| Oct | – | 6 | – | 6 |
Finding water damage help around Arlington Heights
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Arlington Heights cover ZIP codes 60004, 60005.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Arlington Heights homes by building type
46%[2] of Arlington Heights's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 40%, the 5th-highest multi-unit share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover). Water crosses those lines: in an attached or stacked unit, tell the neighbour and the association or landlord right away, and check whose policy covers which part of the damage.
After detached houses, the biggest group is 50 or more units: 4,088 of 33,005 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 17,642 | 53.5% | ±618 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 2,206 | 6.7% | ±312 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 428 | 1.3% | ±224 |
| 3–4 units | 1,280 | 3.9% | ±298 |
| 5–9 units | 2,832 | 8.6% | ±521 |
| 10–19 units | 1,232 | 3.7% | ±244 |
| 20–49 units | 3,262 | 9.9% | ±473 |
| 50 or more units | 4,088 | 12.4% | ±605 |
| Mobile home | 35 | 0.1% | ±49 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Arlington Heights page
| Measure | Arlington Heights | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 91 | 158 | 67 fewer |
| Median home value | $414,500 | $355,600 | 17% higher |
| Built before 1980 | 64% | 55% | 9 pts higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 47 | 56 | 9 fewer |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1977 | 3 years older |
| Renter-occupied | 26% | 26% | same as median |
| Owner-occupied | 74% | 74% | same as median |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered Chicago-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington Heights | 91 | 47 | 64% | 26% |
| Palatine 3.5 mi | 152 | 36 | 58% | 33% |
| Des Plaines 6.0 mi | 1,818 | 71 | 71% | 22% |
| Schaumburg 7.1 mi | 40 | 44 | 53% | 37% |
| Skokie 13.1 mi | 362 | 68 | 85% | 25% |
| Evanston 15.2 mi | 25 | 56 | 76% | 44% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60004 | 50 | $111,031 | 1987 (16) | 38 of 48 |
| 60005 | 41 | $411,354 | 1987 (20) | 26 of 37 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2011 | 9 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1994 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1 |
| 1988 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| February | 4 |
| March | 5 |
| April | 5 |
| May | 1 |
| June | 5 |
| July | 14 |
| August | 43 |
| September | 5 |
| October | 1 |
| November | 3 |
| December | 5 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2025 | Flash Flood | 8.7 mi |
| Jan 31, 2025 | Flood | 9.3 mi |
| Jan 31, 2025 | Flood | 4.0 mi |
| Jul 15, 2024 | Flood | 7.4 mi |
| Jun 22, 2024 | Heavy Rain | 8.0 mi |
| Apr 4, 2023 | Flood | 3.6 mi |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Flood | 9.9 mi |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Flood | 9.8 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Arlington Heights's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 60004 | 63% | 95% |
| 60005 | 36% | 92% |
Common Arlington Heights water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Arlington Heights?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Arlington Heights-area ZIPs have 2 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Arlington Heights ZIP codes do these crews cover?
60004 and 60005[7], in Cook County. Nearby pages: Palatine (3.5 mi), Des Plaines (6.0 mi), and Schaumburg (7.1 mi)[4].
Which Arlington Heights ZIP code has the most flood claims?
60004, with 50 NFIP claims and $111,031 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Arlington Heights?
Aug 17, 2025: a flash flood report 8.7 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Arlington Heights homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
64% of Arlington Heights's housing units were built before 1980, 19.5% before 1960[2] — the 5th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover. Older supply lines and original shut-off valves are common failure points — know where your main shut-off is before you need it.
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.