Water damage restoration · Des Plaines, Illinois
Water damage restoration in Des Plaines, IL
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Des Plaines-area ZIPs: 1,818 flood claims since 1978[1]; 71% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Des Plaines, in Cook County — ZIPs 60016, 60018, counts 58,772 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Des Plaines water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 58,772[3]-3.1% since 2020
- County
- Cook[3]
- Land area
- 14.2 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 1,818 since 1978[1]$36,567,882 paid across 1,515 claims · ZIP 60016, 60018
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 71[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
- 71%[2]the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 22%[2]2020–2024
What Des Plaines's numbers say about water damage
Des Plaines is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 58,772 people (2025 estimate), down just 3.1% since 2020[3]. The city spans 14.2 square miles at 4,128 residents per square mile (the 6th densest) and sits entirely in Cook County, served by ZIP codes 60016, 60018[4].
Des Plaines mixes 6% of homes built since 2010 and 71% 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.
Des Plaines is split across 2 ZIP codes: 60016 (57% of the city's land), 60018 (42% of the city's land)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Arlington Heights (6.0 mi NW), Skokie (8.3 mi E) and Palatine (9.3 mi NW)[4].
1,818 flood-insurance claims have come from Des Plaines-area ZIP codes (60016, 60018) since 1978, and $36,567,882 has been paid on them (about $24,137 per paid claim)[1]. 2008 was the worst year, with 430 claims. That is the most of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Arlington Heights (91), Skokie (362), and Palatine (152). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 1,771 claims rated in a flood zone, 1,293 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 478 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Des Plaines-area flood claims cluster in April (395), August (337), and September (497) — 1,229 of 1,818 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Des Plaines, weather observers filed 71 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (18 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 7 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Floodng (DR-4819, 2024)[6]. Nearby: Arlington Heights (47), Skokie (68), and Palatine (36).
71% of Des Plaines's 23,856 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover (Arlington Heights (64%), Skokie (85%), and Palatine (58%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
78% of Des Plaines households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Among the 15 suburbs tracked here, Des Plaines stands out for the most NFIP flood claims (1,818)[1], the 3rd-highest pre-1980 housing share (71%)[2], and the 3rd-oldest housing (by median year built) (1966)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Water on the move: it spreads across floors and wicks upward into drywall until it is stopped.
Des Plaines storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Des Plaines, 2016–2025: 18 flash-flood reports, 42 flood reports, and 11 heavy-rain reports[5]. 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 | 15 | 1 | 18 |
| Jun | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| Jul | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Aug | 6 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| Sep | 2 | 3 | – | 5 |
| Oct | 1 | 6 | – | 7 |
water damage help in Des Plaines: what to do next
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Des Plaines cover ZIP codes 60016, 60018.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Des Plaines homes by building type
39%[2] of Des Plaines's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 30%, the 7th-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: 2,512 of 23,856 housing units[2].
Des Plaines also has 607 mobile homes (2.5%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 14,022 | 58.8% | ±555 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 1,961 | 8.2% | ±261 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 131 | 0.5% | ±62 |
| 3–4 units | 469 | 2.0% | ±212 |
| 5–9 units | 840 | 3.5% | ±257 |
| 10–19 units | 1,117 | 4.7% | ±266 |
| 20–49 units | 2,197 | 9.2% | ±362 |
| 50 or more units | 2,512 | 10.5% | ±367 |
| Mobile home | 607 | 2.5% | ±158 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Des Plaines page
| Measure | Des Plaines | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 1,818 | 158 | 1,660 more |
| Built before 1980 | 71% | 55% | 16 pts higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 71 | 56 | 15 more |
| Renter-occupied | 22% | 26% | 4 pts lower |
| Owner-occupied | 78% | 74% | 4 pts higher |
| Median home value | $335,600 | $355,600 | 6% lower |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1977 | 11 years older |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Chicago-area suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines | 1,818 | 71 | 71% | 22% |
| Arlington Heights 6.0 mi | 91 | 47 | 64% | 26% |
| Skokie 8.3 mi | 362 | 68 | 85% | 25% |
| Palatine 9.3 mi | 152 | 36 | 58% | 33% |
| Schaumburg 9.4 mi | 40 | 44 | 53% | 37% |
| Evanston 10.6 mi | 25 | 56 | 76% | 44% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60016 | 1,452 | $25,795,180 | 2008 (318) | 370 of 1,419 |
| 60018 | 366 | $10,772,702 | 2008 (112) | 108 of 352 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 38 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2017 | 40 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2014 | 22 |
| 2013 | 392 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 6 |
| February | 64 |
| March | 37 |
| April | 395 |
| May | 106 |
| June | 60 |
| July | 222 |
| August | 337 |
| September | 497 |
| October | 57 |
| November | 7 |
| December | 30 |
| 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 |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Des Plaines's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 60016 | 57% | 67% |
| 60018 | 42% | 36% |
Des Plaines water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Des Plaines?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Des Plaines-area ZIPs have 98 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Des Plaines ZIP codes do these crews cover?
60016 and 60018[7], in Cook County. Nearby pages: Arlington Heights (6.0 mi), Skokie (8.3 mi), and Palatine (9.3 mi)[4].
Which Des Plaines ZIP code has the most flood claims?
60016, with 1,452 NFIP claims and $25,795,180 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Des Plaines?
Aug 17, 2025: a flash flood report 7.2 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Des Plaines homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
71% of Des Plaines's housing units were built before 1980, 36.2% before 1960[2] — the 3rd-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.