Water damage restoration · Elgin, Illinois
Water damage restoration in Elgin, IL
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Elgin-area ZIPs: 165 flood claims since 1978[1]; 55% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Elgin, in Kane County and Cook County — ZIPs 60123, 60124, 60120, counts 115,476 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Elgin water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 115,476[3]+0.6% since 2020
- County
- Kane / Cook[3]city spans more than one county
- Land area
- 38.3 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 165 since 1978[1]$1,938,203 paid across 119 claims · ZIP 60123, 60124, 60120
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 20[5]2016–2025 · latest Jul 27, 2025
- Winter-storm & freeze days, kane zone
- 55[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Kane Co.
- 3[6]of 8 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 55%[2]the 8th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 28%[2]2020–2024
What Elgin's numbers say about water damage
Elgin is one of the fastest-growing Chicago-metro suburbs tracked here: 115,476 people (2025 estimate), up 0.6% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 38.3 square miles holding 3,019 residents per square mile, the 12th densest of the suburbs here; it spans Kane County and Cook County, with ZIP codes 60123, 60124, 60120[4].
Elgin mixes 7% of homes built since 2010 and 55% 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.
Elgin is split across 3 ZIP codes: 60123 (35% of the city's land), 60124 (30% of the city's land), 60120 (26% of the city's land)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Schaumburg (12.4 mi E), Palatine (15.4 mi E) and Wheaton (16.8 mi SE)[4].
165 flood-insurance claims have come from Elgin-area ZIP codes (60123, 60124, 60120) since 1978, and $1,938,203 has been paid on them (about $16,287 per paid claim)[1]. 2008 was the worst year, with 52 claims. That is the 7th-most of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Schaumburg (40), Palatine (152), and Wheaton (232). Of the 157 claims rated in a flood zone, 129 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 28 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Elgin-area flood claims cluster in April (28), August (21), and September (47) — 96 of 165 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Elgin, weather observers filed 20 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (2 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 3 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4116, 2013)[6]. Nearby: Schaumburg (44), Palatine (36), and Wheaton (77).
55% of Elgin's 40,523 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 8th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-area suburbs we cover (Schaumburg (53%), Palatine (58%), and Wheaton (62%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
Freeze days in the kane zone: 55 in 2016–2025, latest Dec 29, 2025[5]. Nearby: Schaumburg (20) and Palatine (20).
72% of Elgin households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Out of the 15 suburbs on this site, Elgin has the fewest flood reports nearby (20)[5] and the 2nd-lowest median home value ($273,000)[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.
Elgin storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Elgin, 2016–2025: 2 flash-flood reports, 10 flood reports, and 8 heavy-rain reports[5]. Peak: 90% in May, June, and July. Busiest year 2018 (6); 3 of 10 years had none. Busiest month May 2018 (4). Latest: heavy-rain report, Jul 27, 2025, 5.2 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Jun | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Jul | – | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Aug | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Oct | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Finding water damage help around Elgin
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Elgin area — ZIP codes 60123, 60124, 60120.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Elgin homes by building type
35%[2] of Elgin's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 21%, the 3rd-lowest 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 attached house (townhouse, rowhouse): 5,641 of 40,523 housing units[2].
Elgin also has 1,220 mobile homes (3.0%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 25,096 | 61.9% | ±1,015 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 5,641 | 13.9% | ±606 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 1,794 | 4.4% | ±359 |
| 3–4 units | 1,978 | 4.9% | ±350 |
| 5–9 units | 1,668 | 4.1% | ±396 |
| 10–19 units | 1,172 | 2.9% | ±272 |
| 20–49 units | 908 | 2.2% | ±243 |
| 50 or more units | 1,046 | 2.6% | ±235 |
| Mobile home | 1,220 | 3.0% | ±448 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Elgin numbers behind this page
| Measure | Elgin | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 20 | 56 | 36 fewer |
| Median home value | $273,000 | $355,600 | 23% lower |
| Renter-occupied | 28% | 26% | 2 pts higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 165 | 158 | 7 more |
| Owner-occupied | 72% | 74% | 2 pts lower |
| Built before 1980 | 55% | 55% | same as median |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1977 | same as median |
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 | Freeze days | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin | 165 | 20 | 55 | 55% | 28% |
| Schaumburg 12.4 mi | 40 | 44 | 20 | 53% | 37% |
| Palatine 15.4 mi | 152 | 36 | 20 | 58% | 33% |
| Wheaton 16.8 mi | 232 | 77 | — | 62% | 28% |
| Arlington Heights 18.1 mi | 91 | 47 | 20 | 64% | 26% |
| Aurora 19.1 mi | 304 | 55 | 55 | 42% | 34% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60123 | 16 | $235,639 | 2008 (3) | 7 of 14 |
| 60124 | 5 | $8,129 | 1995 (1) | 2 of 5 |
| 60120 | 144 | $1,694,435 | 2008 (49) | 19 of 138 |
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 | 14 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2013 | 18 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2008 | 52 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 1 |
| February | 20 |
| March | 6 |
| April | 28 |
| May | 19 |
| June | 7 |
| July | 5 |
| August | 21 |
| September | 47 |
| October | 1 |
| November | 1 |
| December | 9 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 9.9 mi |
| Jul 27, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 5.2 mi |
| Jul 14, 2024 | Flood | 7.3 mi |
| Jul 13, 2024 | Flood | 2.0 mi |
| Jul 4, 2022 | Heavy Rain | 0.8 mi |
| Jul 4, 2022 | Heavy Rain | 3.0 mi |
| Jun 20, 2021 | Heavy Rain | 9.4 mi |
| Jun 29, 2020 | Flood | 0.9 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Elgin's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 60123 | 35% | 94% |
| 60124 | 30% | 30% |
| 60120 | 26% | 56% |
Elgin water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Elgin?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Elgin-area ZIPs have 18 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Elgin ZIP codes do these crews cover?
60123, 60124, and 60120[7], in Kane County. Nearby pages: Schaumburg (12.4 mi), Palatine (15.4 mi), and Wheaton (16.8 mi)[4].
Which Elgin ZIP code has the most flood claims?
60120, with 144 NFIP claims and $1,694,435 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Elgin?
Jul 27, 2025: a heavy rain report 9.9 miles from the city center[5].
My Elgin home is fairly new — could the plumbing fixtures and water heater still be under warranty?
Possibly: 7% of Elgin's housing units were built in 2010 or later[2], the 4th-highest share of the 15 Chicago-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
- 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.