Water damage restoration · Buckeye, Arizona
Water damage restoration in Buckeye, AZ
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Buckeye-area ZIPs: 104 flood claims since 1978[1]; 4% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Buckeye, in Maricopa County — ZIPs 85326, 85396, counts 125,445 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Buckeye water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 125,445[3]+37.1% since 2020
- County
- Maricopa[3]
- Land area
- 395.8 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 104 since 1978[1]$869,225 paid across 85 claims · ZIP 85326, 85396
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 16[5]2016–2025 · latest Mar 22, 2023
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Maricopa Co.
- 3[6]of 17 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 4%[2]the 4th-lowest share of the 15 Phoenix-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 14%[2]2020–2024
What Buckeye's numbers say about water damage
Buckeye is one of the fastest-growing Phoenix-metro suburbs tracked here: 125,445 people (2025 estimate), up 37.1% since 2020[3]. The city spans 395.8 square miles at 317 residents per square mile (the 15th densest) and sits entirely in Maricopa County, served by ZIP codes 85326, 85396[4].
Buckeye mixes 52% of homes built since 2010 and 4% 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.
2 ZIP codes cover Buckeye — 85326 (52% of the city's land), 85396 (18% of the city's land)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Surprise (19.8 mi NE), Avondale (19.8 mi SE) and Goodyear (20.1 mi SE)[4].
104 flood-insurance claims have come from Buckeye-area ZIP codes (85326, 85396) since 1978, and $869,225 has been paid on them (about $10,226 per paid claim)[1]. 1980 was the worst year, with 43 claims. That is the 3rd-most of the 15 Phoenix-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Surprise (5), Avondale (20), and Goodyear (113). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 37 claims rated in a flood zone, 16 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 21 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Buckeye-area flood claims cluster in February (44), August (7), and December (39) — 90 of 104 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Buckeye, weather observers filed 16 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (11 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 3 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4203, 2014)[6]. Nearby: Surprise (30), Avondale (24), and Goodyear (21).
4% of Buckeye's 35,276 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 4th-lowest share of the 15 Phoenix-area suburbs we cover (Surprise (3%), Avondale (12%), and Goodyear (4%)). In newer houses, check fittings, washer hoses and the water-heater pan first — and any builder warranty.
86% of Buckeye households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Out of the 15 suburbs on this site, Buckeye has the 2nd-newest housing (by median year built) (2011)[2], the 2nd-lowest renter share (14%)[2], the 3rd-most NFIP flood claims (104)[1], and the 3rd-fewest flood reports nearby (16, tied with Peoria)[5].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Give a leak time and it travels — outward across the floor, upward into drywall by capillary action.
Buckeye storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Buckeye, 2016–2025: 11 flash-flood reports and 5 flood reports[5]. Peak: 81% in March, September, and October. Busiest year 2022 (4); 3 of 10 years had none. Busiest month March 2023 (4). Latest: flood report, Mar 22, 2023, 7.7 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar | 2 | 4 | – | 6 |
| Jul | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| Aug | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Sep | 3 | – | – | 3 |
| Oct | 4 | – | – | 4 |
Finding water damage help around Buckeye
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Buckeye area — ZIP codes 85326, 85396.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Buckeye homes by building type
With 93%[2] of homes detached, most Buckeye water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is mobile home: 1,016 of 35,276 housing units[2].
Buckeye also has 1,016 mobile homes (2.9%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 32,671 | 92.6% | ±858 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 620 | 1.8% | ±233 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 34 | 0.1% | ±37 |
| 3–4 units | 161 | 0.5% | ±97 |
| 5–9 units | 285 | 0.8% | ±160 |
| 10–19 units | 236 | 0.7% | ±209 |
| 20–49 units | 57 | 0.2% | ±69 |
| 50 or more units | 196 | 0.6% | ±113 |
| Mobile home | 1,016 | 2.9% | ±282 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Buckeye page
| Measure | Buckeye | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 104 | 21 | 83 more |
| Built before 1980 | 4% | 10% | 6 pts lower |
| Renter-occupied | 14% | 27% | 13 pts lower |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 16 | 22 | 6 fewer |
| Owner-occupied | 86% | 73% | 13 pts higher |
| Median home value | $419,800 | $455,400 | 8% lower |
| Median year built | 2011 | 2002 | 9 years newer |
Largest differences first. Medians are the middle value across the covered Phoenix-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye | 104 | 16 | 4% | 14% |
| Surprise 19.8 mi | 5 | 30 | 3% | 21% |
| Avondale 19.8 mi | 20 | 24 | 12% | 38% |
| Goodyear 20.1 mi | 113 | 21 | 4% | 22% |
| Glendale 27.0 mi | 80 | 77 | 35% | 43% |
| Peoria 31.1 mi | 33 | 16 | 10% | 24% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85326 | 101 | $869,225 | 1980 (42) | 20 of 36 |
| 85396 | 3 | $0 | 1979 (1) | 1 of 1 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 1994 | 1 |
| 1993 | 4 |
| 1990 | 6 |
| 1982 | 1 |
| 1980 | 43 |
| 1979 | 4 |
| 1978 | 39 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 6 |
| February | 44 |
| March | 2 |
| July | 1 |
| August | 7 |
| September | 5 |
| December | 39 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 2023 | Flood | 8.7 mi |
| Mar 22, 2023 | Flood | 7.7 mi |
| Mar 16, 2023 | Flood | 7.7 mi |
| Mar 16, 2023 | Flood | 7.2 mi |
| Oct 15, 2022 | Flash Flood | 4.0 mi |
| Oct 15, 2022 | Flash Flood | 5.2 mi |
| Sep 21, 2022 | Flash Flood | 7.6 mi |
| Sep 21, 2022 | Flash Flood | 6.0 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Buckeye's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 85326 | 52% | 43% |
| 85396 | 18% | 69% |
Buckeye water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Buckeye?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Buckeye-area ZIPs have 0 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Buckeye ZIP codes do these crews cover?
85326 and 85396[7], in Maricopa County. Nearby pages: Surprise (19.8 mi), Avondale (19.8 mi), and Goodyear (20.1 mi)[4].
Which Buckeye ZIP code has the most flood claims?
85326, with 101 NFIP claims and $869,225 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Buckeye?
Mar 22, 2023: a flood report 8.7 miles from the city center[5].
My Buckeye home is fairly new — could the plumbing fixtures and water heater still be under warranty?
Possibly: 52% of Buckeye's housing units were built in 2010 or later[2], the 2nd-highest share of the 15 Phoenix-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.