Water damage restoration · Edmonds, Washington
Water damage restoration in Edmonds, WA
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Edmonds-area ZIPs: 32 flood claims since 1979[1]; 61% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Edmonds, in Snohomish County — ZIPs 98026, 98020, counts 42,748 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Edmonds water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 42,748[3]-0.2% since 2020
- County
- Snohomish[3]
- Land area
- 8.9 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 32 since 1979[1]$502,946 paid across 26 claims · ZIP 98026, 98020
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 2[5]2016–2025 · latest Dec 5, 2023
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Snohomish Co.
- 15[6]of 23 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 61%[2]the highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 29%[2]2020–2024
What Edmonds's numbers say about water damage
Edmonds counts 42,748 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -0.2% since 2020[3]. It covers 8.9 square miles (4,795 residents per square mile, the 4th densest), sits entirely in Snohomish County, in ZIP codes 98026, 98020[4].
Edmonds mixes 5% of homes built since 2010 and 61% 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.
Edmonds is split across 2 ZIP codes: 98026 (56% of the city's land), 98020 (44% of the city's land)[7].
The closest tracked neighbours are Lynnwood (2.7 mi NE), Bothell (7.4 mi E) and Kirkland (10.6 mi SE)[4].
32 flood-insurance claims have come from Edmonds-area ZIP codes (98026, 98020) since 1979, and $502,946 has been paid on them (about $19,344 per paid claim)[1]. 1996 was the worst year, with 5 claims. That is the 6th-fewest of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Lynnwood (46), Bothell (15), and Kirkland (29). Of the 27 claims rated in a flood zone, 10 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 17 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Edmonds-area flood claims cluster in January (6), October (4), and December (12) — 22 of 32 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Edmonds, weather observers filed 2 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025[5]. Countywide: 15 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4906, 2025)[6]. Nearby: Lynnwood (0), Bothell (3), and Kirkland (3).
61% of Edmonds's 19,479 housing units predate 1980[2] — the highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover (Lynnwood (53%), Bothell (27%), and Kirkland (44%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
71% of Edmonds households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Edmonds records the highest pre-1980 housing share (61%)[2], the oldest housing (by median year built) (1974)[2], and the 2nd-lowest renter share (29%)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
water damage help in Edmonds: what to do next
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Edmonds cover ZIP codes 98026, 98020.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Edmonds homes by building type
39%[2] of Edmonds's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 35%, the 3rd-lowest multi-unit share of the 15 Seattle-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 20–49 units: 2,020 of 19,479 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 11,767 | 60.4% | ±596 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 789 | 4.1% | ±224 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 413 | 2.1% | ±203 |
| 3–4 units | 831 | 4.3% | ±212 |
| 5–9 units | 971 | 5.0% | ±231 |
| 10–19 units | 1,602 | 8.2% | ±270 |
| 20–49 units | 2,020 | 10.4% | ±326 |
| 50 or more units | 1,012 | 5.2% | ±278 |
| Mobile home | 74 | 0.4% | ±69 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Edmonds page
| Measure | Edmonds | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 2 | 1 | 1 more |
| Built before 1980 | 61% | 39% | 21 pts higher |
| Renter-occupied | 29% | 45% | 16 pts lower |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 32 | 46 | 14 fewer |
| Median home value | $890,100 | $686,900 | 30% higher |
| Owner-occupied | 71% | 55% | 16 pts higher |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1985 | 11 years older |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Seattle-area suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonds | 32 | 2 | 61% | 29% |
| Lynnwood 2.7 mi | 46 | 0 | 53% | 49% |
| Bothell 7.4 mi | 15 | 3 | 27% | 35% |
| Kirkland 10.6 mi | 29 | 3 | 44% | 39% |
| Everett 12.9 mi | 53 | 1 | 48% | 51% |
| Redmond 14.5 mi | 17 | 3 | 26% | 57% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98026 | 19 | $350,387 | 1996 (3) | 6 of 15 |
| 98020 | 13 | $152,559 | 1996 (2) | 11 of 12 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1996 | 5 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 6 |
| February | 1 |
| March | 2 |
| May | 2 |
| August | 1 |
| October | 4 |
| November | 4 |
| December | 12 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 5, 2023 | Heavy Rain | 9.8 mi |
| Dec 4, 2023 | Heavy Rain | 9.8 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Edmonds's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 98026 | 56% | 53% |
| 98020 | 44% | 76% |
Common Edmonds water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Edmonds?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Edmonds-area ZIPs have 5 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Edmonds ZIP codes do these crews cover?
98026 and 98020[7], in Snohomish County. Nearby pages: Lynnwood (2.7 mi), Bothell (7.4 mi), and Kirkland (10.6 mi)[4].
Which Edmonds ZIP code has the most flood claims?
98026, with 19 NFIP claims and $350,387 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Edmonds?
Dec 5, 2023: a heavy rain report 9.8 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Edmonds homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
61% of Edmonds's housing units were built before 1980, 18.6% before 1960[2] — the highest share of the 15 Seattle-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.