Water damage restoration · Fontana, California
Water damage restoration in Fontana, CA
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Fontana-area ZIPs: 23 flood claims since 1978[1]; 28% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Fontana, in San Bernardino County — ZIPs 92336, 92337, 92335, counts 221,223 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
Request helpIs this a water-damage emergency?
Answer a few questions for a plan for the next hour.
Fontana water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 221,223[3]+6.1% since 2020
- County
- San Bernardino[3]
- Land area
- 43.3 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 23 since 1978[1]$132,812 paid across 9 claims · ZIP 92336, 92337, 92335
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 53[5]2016–2025 · latest Dec 24, 2025
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, San Bernardino Co.
- 9[6]of 40 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 28%[2]the 7th-highest share of the 15 Inland Empire suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 33%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Fontana data for water damage
Fontana is one of the fastest-growing Inland Empire suburbs tracked here: 221,223 people (2025 estimate), up 6.1% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 43.3 square miles holding 5,111 residents per square mile, the 2nd densest of the suburbs here; it sits entirely in San Bernardino County, with ZIP codes 92336, 92337, 92335[4].
Fontana mixes 11% of homes built since 2010 and 28% 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.
Fontana is split across 3 ZIP codes: 92336 (44% of the city's land), 92337 (32% of the city's land), 92335 (22% of the city's land)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Rialto (4.2 mi E), Rancho Cucamonga (6.1 mi W) and Ontario (9.6 mi SW)[4].
23 flood-insurance claims have come from Fontana-area ZIP codes (92336, 92337, 92335) since 1978, and $132,812 has been paid on them (about $14,757 per paid claim)[1]. 1980 was the worst year, with 5 claims. That is the 6th-most of the 15 Inland Empire suburbs we cover; for comparison, Rialto (6), Rancho Cucamonga (47), and Ontario (21). Of the 15 claims rated in a flood zone, 10 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 5 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Fontana-area flood claims cluster in January (4), February (8), and March (5) — 17 of 23 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Fontana, weather observers filed 53 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (16 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 9 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4699, 2023)[6]. Nearby: Rialto (51), Rancho Cucamonga (51), and Ontario (45).
28% of Fontana's 59,522 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 7th-highest share of the 15 Inland Empire suburbs we cover (Rialto (44%), Rancho Cucamonga (29%), and Ontario (50%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
67% of Fontana households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Fontana records the most flood reports nearby (53)[5].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
Fontana storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Fontana, 2016–2025: 16 flash-flood reports, 20 flood reports, and 17 heavy-rain reports[5]. Peak: 62% in February, March, and November. Busiest year 2025 (12). Busiest month February 2025 (9). Latest: flash-flood report, Dec 24, 2025, 7.6 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | 2 | – | 6 |
| Feb | 2 | 7 | 8 | 17 |
| Mar | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| May | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Jul | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Aug | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Sep | 1 | – | 2 | 3 |
| Nov | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Dec | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Finding water damage help around Fontana
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Fontana area — ZIP codes 92336, 92337, 92335.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Fontana homes by building type
With 77%[2] of homes detached, most Fontana water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is 50 or more units: 4,863 of 59,522 housing units[2].
Fontana also has 1,546 mobile homes (2.6%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 45,602 | 76.6% | ±963 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 2,368 | 4.0% | ±358 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 134 | 0.2% | ±77 |
| 3–4 units | 1,562 | 2.6% | ±278 |
| 5–9 units | 1,069 | 1.8% | ±229 |
| 10–19 units | 1,312 | 2.2% | ±285 |
| 20–49 units | 1,059 | 1.8% | ±246 |
| 50 or more units | 4,863 | 8.2% | ±526 |
| Mobile home | 1,546 | 2.6% | ±249 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 7 | 0.0% | ±13 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
Fontana by the numbers
| Measure | Fontana | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 53 | 34 | 19 more |
| Built before 1980 | 28% | 25% | 4 pts higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 23 | 21 | 2 more |
| Renter-occupied | 33% | 36% | 3 pts lower |
| Median home value | $586,800 | $618,900 | 5% lower |
| Owner-occupied | 67% | 64% | 3 pts higher |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1989 | same as median |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Inland Empire suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fontana | 23 | 53 | 28% | 33% |
| Rialto 4.2 mi | 6 | 51 | 44% | 34% |
| Rancho Cucamonga 6.1 mi | 47 | 51 | 29% | 38% |
| Ontario 9.6 mi | 21 | 45 | 50% | 42% |
| Eastvale 12.2 mi | 29 | 46 | 2% | 22% |
| Chino 14.9 mi | 5 | 44 | 38% | 36% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92336 | 0 | $0 | — | — |
| 92337 | 4 | $95,975 | 2010 (2) | 3 of 4 |
| 92335 | 19 | $36,837 | 1980 (5) | 2 of 11 |
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 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1983 | 3 |
| 1982 | 1 |
| 1980 | 5 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 4 |
| February | 8 |
| March | 5 |
| April | 1 |
| August | 1 |
| October | 1 |
| November | 1 |
| December | 2 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2025 | Flash Flood | 7.6 mi |
| Nov 16, 2025 | Flood | 4.0 mi |
| Nov 15, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 7.4 mi |
| Feb 14, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 7.3 mi |
| Feb 14, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 6.8 mi |
| Feb 14, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 7.6 mi |
| Feb 13, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 8.4 mi |
| Feb 13, 2025 | Flood | 5.9 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Fontana's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 92336 | 44% | 96% |
| 92337 | 32% | 100% |
| 92335 | 22% | 53% |
Fontana water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Fontana?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Fontana-area ZIPs have 1 NFIP claim in just the last ten years[1].
Which Fontana ZIP codes do these crews cover?
92336, 92337, and 92335[7], in San Bernardino County. Nearby pages: Rialto (4.2 mi), Rancho Cucamonga (6.1 mi), and Ontario (9.6 mi)[4].
Which Fontana ZIP code has the most flood claims?
92335, with 19 NFIP claims and $36,837 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Fontana?
Dec 24, 2025: a flash flood report 7.6 miles from the city center[5].
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.