Water damage restoration · Lynnwood, Washington
Water damage restoration in Lynnwood, WA
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Lynnwood-area ZIPs: 46 flood claims since 1978[1]; 53% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Lynnwood, in Snohomish County — ZIPs 98036, 98037, counts 42,132 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Lynnwood water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 42,132[3]+9.2% since 2020
- County
- Snohomish[3]
- Land area
- 7.9 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 46 since 1978[1]$1,787,140 paid across 40 claims · ZIP 98036, 98037
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 0[5]2016–2025
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Snohomish Co.
- 15[6]of 23 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 53%[2]the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 49%[2]2020–2024
What Lynnwood's numbers say about water damage
Lynnwood is one of the fastest-growing Seattle-metro suburbs tracked here: 42,132 people (2025 estimate), up 9.2% since 2020[3]. It covers 7.9 square miles (5,349 residents per square mile, the 2nd densest), sits entirely in Snohomish County, in ZIP codes 98036, 98037[4].
Lynnwood mixes 12% of homes built since 2010 and 53% 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.
Lynnwood is split across 2 ZIP codes: 98036 (50% of the city's land), 98037 (49% of the city's land)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Edmonds (2.7 mi SW), Bothell (5.9 mi SE) and Kirkland (10.2 mi SE)[4].
46 flood-insurance claims have come from Lynnwood-area ZIP codes (98036, 98037) since 1978, and $1,787,140 has been paid on them (about $44,679 per paid claim)[1]. 2007 was the worst year, with 19 claims. That is the 7th-fewest of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Edmonds (32), Bothell (15), and Kirkland (29). Of the 43 claims rated in a flood zone, 10 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 33 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Lynnwood-area flood claims cluster in January (9), November (3), and December (31) — 43 of 46 dated claims[1].
No flood or flash-flood reports fall within 10 miles of central Lynnwood for 2016–2025[5]. Countywide: 15 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4906, 2025)[6].
53% of Lynnwood's 17,012 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover (Edmonds (61%), Bothell (27%), and Kirkland (44%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
49% of Lynnwood households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
Among the 15 suburbs tracked here, Lynnwood stands out for the fewest flood reports nearby (0, tied with 3 other suburbs)[5], the 3rd-highest pre-1980 housing share (53%)[2], and the 3rd-oldest housing (by median year built) (1979)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Give a leak time and it travels — outward across the floor, upward into drywall by capillary action.
water damage help in Lynnwood: what to do next
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Lynnwood cover ZIP codes 98036, 98037.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Lynnwood homes by building type
51%[2] of Lynnwood's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 48%, the 3rd-highest 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 50 or more units: 2,856 of 17,012 housing units[2].
Lynnwood also has 559 mobile homes (3.3%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 7,736 | 45.5% | ±622 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 509 | 3.0% | ±178 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 646 | 3.8% | ±324 |
| 3–4 units | 1,062 | 6.2% | ±269 |
| 5–9 units | 1,500 | 8.8% | ±336 |
| 10–19 units | 1,347 | 7.9% | ±325 |
| 20–49 units | 797 | 4.7% | ±238 |
| 50 or more units | 2,856 | 16.8% | ±405 |
| Mobile home | 559 | 3.3% | ±253 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Lynnwood page
| Measure | Lynnwood | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 0 | 1 | 1 fewer |
| Built before 1980 | 53% | 39% | 13 pts higher |
| Renter-occupied | 49% | 45% | 4 pts higher |
| Owner-occupied | 51% | 55% | 4 pts lower |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1985 | 6 years older |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 46 | 46 | same as median |
| Median home value | $686,900 | $686,900 | same as median |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered Seattle-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynnwood | 46 | 0 | 53% | 49% |
| Edmonds 2.7 mi | 32 | 2 | 61% | 29% |
| Bothell 5.9 mi | 15 | 3 | 27% | 35% |
| Kirkland 10.2 mi | 29 | 3 | 44% | 39% |
| Everett 10.7 mi | 53 | 1 | 48% | 51% |
| Redmond 13.5 mi | 17 | 3 | 26% | 57% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98036 | 43 | $1,765,911 | 2007 (19) | 31 of 41 |
| 98037 | 3 | $21,229 | 1978 (1) | 2 of 2 |
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 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2007 | 19 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 1997 | 2 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 9 |
| March | 1 |
| July | 1 |
| September | 1 |
| November | 3 |
| December | 31 |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Lynnwood's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 98036 | 50% | 41% |
| 98037 | 49% | 66% |
Common Lynnwood water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Lynnwood?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Lynnwood-area ZIPs have 9 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Lynnwood ZIP codes do these crews cover?
98036 and 98037[7], in Snohomish County. Nearby pages: Edmonds (2.7 mi), Bothell (5.9 mi), and Kirkland (10.2 mi)[4].
Which Lynnwood ZIP code has the most flood claims?
98036, with 43 NFIP claims and $1,765,911 paid[1].
A lot of Lynnwood homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
53% of Lynnwood's housing units were built before 1980, 12.6% before 1960[2] — the 3rd-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.
I rent in Lynnwood. Who arranges the repair?
49% of occupied Lynnwood homes are rented[2], the 4th-highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover. Tell your landlord or property manager in writing first; your lease says who arranges repairs.
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.