Water damage restoration · Gilbert, Arizona
Water damage restoration in Gilbert, AZ
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Gilbert-area ZIPs: 21 flood claims since 1992[1]; 4% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Gilbert, in Maricopa County — ZIPs 85298, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85233, 85236, counts 287,285 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Gilbert water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 287,285[3]+7.2% since 2020
- County
- Maricopa[3]
- Land area
- 68.8 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 21 since 1992[1]$151,739 paid across 15 claims · ZIP 85298, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85233, 85236
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 21[5]2016–2025 · latest Oct 12, 2025
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Maricopa Co.
- 3[6]of 17 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 4%[2]the 6th-lowest share of the 15 Phoenix-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 27%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Gilbert data for water damage
Gilbert counts 287,285 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack 7.2% since 2020[3]. It covers 68.8 square miles (4,177 residents per square mile, the 3rd densest), sits entirely in Maricopa County, in ZIP codes 85298, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85233, 85236[4].
Gilbert mixes 24% 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.
Mail to Gilbert goes through 7 ZIP codes — 85298 (19% of the city's land), 85234 (17% of the city's land), 85295 (17% of the city's land), 85296 (16% of the city's land), 85297 (15% of the city's land), 85233 (14% of the city's land), 85236 (0% of the city's land)[7].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Mesa (6.3 mi N), Chandler (6.6 mi W) and Queen Creek (9.0 mi SE)[4].
21 flood-insurance claims have come from Gilbert-area ZIP codes (85298, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85233, 85236) since 1992, and $151,739 has been paid on them (about $10,116 per paid claim)[1]. 2014 was the worst year, with 7 claims. That is the 8th-most of the 15 Phoenix-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Mesa (74), Chandler (11), and Queen Creek (14). Of the 21 claims rated in a flood zone, 5 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 16 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Gilbert-area flood claims cluster in July (5), August (3), and September (9) — 17 of 21 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Gilbert, weather observers filed 21 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (15 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 3 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4203, 2014)[6]. Nearby: Mesa (28), Chandler (20), and Queen Creek (14).
4% of Gilbert's 100,336 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 6th-lowest share of the 15 Phoenix-area suburbs we cover (Mesa (29%), Chandler (10%), and Queen Creek (3%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
73% of Gilbert households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Give a leak time and it travels — outward across the floor, upward into drywall by capillary action.
Gilbert storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Gilbert, 2016–2025: 15 flash-flood reports, 5 flood reports, and 1 heavy-rain report[5]. Peak: 81% in July, August, and October. Busiest year 2017 (5); 3 of 10 years had none. Busiest month July 2017 (4). Latest: flash-flood report, Oct 12, 2025, 6.0 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Jul | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Aug | 6 | 2 | – | 8 |
| Sep | 3 | – | – | 3 |
| Oct | 4 | – | – | 4 |
Get water damage help in Gilbert
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Gilbert cover ZIP codes 85298, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85233, 85236.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Gilbert homes by building type
With 82%[2] of homes detached, most Gilbert 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: 5,489 of 100,336 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 82,000 | 81.7% | ±1,346 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 3,625 | 3.6% | ±652 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 739 | 0.7% | ±297 |
| 3–4 units | 1,111 | 1.1% | ±379 |
| 5–9 units | 2,259 | 2.3% | ±424 |
| 10–19 units | 3,192 | 3.2% | ±555 |
| 20–49 units | 1,657 | 1.7% | ±437 |
| 50 or more units | 5,489 | 5.5% | ±667 |
| Mobile home | 252 | 0.3% | ±117 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 12 | 0.0% | ±17 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Gilbert numbers behind this page
| Measure | Gilbert | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built before 1980 | 4% | 10% | 6 pts lower |
| Median home value | $575,100 | $455,400 | 26% higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 21 | 22 | 1 fewer |
| Median year built | 2003 | 2002 | 1 year newer |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 21 | 21 | same as median |
| Renter-occupied | 27% | 27% | same as median |
| Owner-occupied | 73% | 73% | same as median |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert | 21 | 21 | 4% | 27% |
| Mesa 6.3 mi | 74 | 28 | 29% | 36% |
| Chandler 6.6 mi | 11 | 20 | 10% | 35% |
| Queen Creek 9.0 mi | 14 | 14 | 3% | 10% |
| Tempe 12.2 mi | 37 | 46 | 41% | 58% |
| Fountain Hills 20.6 mi | 5 | 25 | 12% | 16% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85298 | 3 | $13,428 | 2013 (1) | 3 of 3 |
| 85234 | 6 | $88,784 | 1992 (3) | 3 of 6 |
| 85295 | 3 | $8,949 | 2014 (1) | 3 of 3 |
| 85296 | 2 | $3,472 | 2014 (2) | 2 of 2 |
| 85297 | 2 | $2,803 | 2012 (1) | 2 of 2 |
| 85233 | 5 | $34,303 | 2014 (3) | 3 of 5 |
| 85236 | 0 | $0 | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 1992 | 3 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 1 |
| July | 5 |
| August | 3 |
| September | 9 |
| October | 2 |
| November | 1 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2025 | Flash Flood | 9.2 mi |
| Oct 12, 2025 | Flash Flood | 9.3 mi |
| Oct 12, 2025 | Flash Flood | 4.2 mi |
| Oct 12, 2025 | Flash Flood | 6.0 mi |
| Sep 11, 2022 | Flash Flood | 7.8 mi |
| Sep 11, 2022 | Flash Flood | 9.3 mi |
| Jul 13, 2022 | Flash Flood | 5.2 mi |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Flood | 8.2 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Gilbert's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 85298 | 19% | 84% |
| 85234 | 17% | 98% |
| 85295 | 17% | 94% |
| 85296 | 16% | 96% |
| 85297 | 15% | 97% |
| 85233 | 14% | 99% |
| 85236 | 0% | 100% |
Common Gilbert water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Gilbert?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Gilbert-area ZIPs have 5 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Gilbert ZIP codes do these crews cover?
85298, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85233, and 85236[7], in Maricopa County. Nearby pages: Mesa (6.3 mi), Chandler (6.6 mi), and Queen Creek (9.0 mi)[4].
Which Gilbert ZIP code has the most flood claims?
85234, with 6 NFIP claims and $88,784 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Gilbert?
Oct 12, 2025: a flash flood report 9.2 miles from the city center[5].
My Gilbert home is fairly new — could the plumbing fixtures and water heater still be under warranty?
Possibly: 24% of Gilbert's housing units were built in 2010 or later[2], the 5th-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.