Water damage restoration · Puyallup, Washington
Water damage restoration in Puyallup, WA
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Puyallup-area ZIPs: 169 flood claims since 1979[1]; 39% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Puyallup, in Pierce County — ZIPs 98371, 98372, 98374, 98373, counts 42,682 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Puyallup at a glance for water damage
- Population (2025 est.)
- 42,682[3]-0.7% since 2020
- County
- Pierce[3]
- Land area
- 14.4 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 169 since 1979[1]$5,411,733 paid across 127 claims · ZIP 98371, 98372, 98374, 98373
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 0[5]2016–2025
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Pierce Co.
- 6[6]of 13 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 39%[2]the 8th-highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 48%[2]2020–2024
What the local data means for water damage in Puyallup
Puyallup counts 42,682 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -0.7% since 2020[3]. The city spans 14.4 square miles at 2,971 residents per square mile (the 14th densest) and sits entirely in Pierce County, served by ZIP codes 98371, 98372, 98374, 98373[4].
Puyallup mixes 13% of homes built since 2010 and 39% 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.
4 ZIP codes cover Puyallup — 98371 (37% of the city's land), 98372 (31% of the city's land), 98374 (19% of the city's land), 98373 (13% of the city's land)[7].
The closest tracked neighbours are Federal Way (9.4 mi N), Auburn (9.5 mi NE) and Lakewood (11.2 mi W)[4].
169 flood-insurance claims have come from Puyallup-area ZIP codes (98371, 98372, 98374, 98373) since 1979, and $5,411,733 has been paid on them (about $42,612 per paid claim)[1]. 1996 was the worst year, with 39 claims. That is the 2nd-most of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Federal Way (23), Auburn (49), and Lakewood (46). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 158 claims rated in a flood zone, 100 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 58 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Puyallup-area flood claims cluster in January (42), February (48), and December (39) — 129 of 169 dated claims[1].
No flood or flash-flood reports fall within 10 miles of central Puyallup for 2016–2025[5]. Countywide: 6 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4906, 2025)[6].
39% of Puyallup's 17,460 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 8th-highest share of the 15 Seattle-area suburbs we cover (Federal Way (40%), Auburn (33%), and Lakewood (59%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
48% of Puyallup households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Puyallup records the fewest flood reports nearby (0, tied with 3 other suburbs)[5], the 2nd-most NFIP flood claims (169)[1], and the 3rd-lowest median home value ($551,800)[2].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Water on the move: it spreads across floors and wicks upward into drywall until it is stopped.
water damage help in Puyallup: what to do next
Your request reaches Water damage restoration contractors who serve Puyallup (ZIP codes 98371, 98372, 98374, 98373).
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Puyallup homes by building type
43%[2] of Puyallup's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 41%, the 7th-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 10–19 units: 1,738 of 17,460 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 9,836 | 56.3% | ±476 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 470 | 2.7% | ±175 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 617 | 3.5% | ±246 |
| 3–4 units | 1,448 | 8.3% | ±325 |
| 5–9 units | 1,382 | 7.9% | ±382 |
| 10–19 units | 1,738 | 10.0% | ±334 |
| 20–49 units | 719 | 4.1% | ±240 |
| 50 or more units | 1,168 | 6.7% | ±267 |
| Mobile home | 57 | 0.3% | ±51 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 25 | 0.1% | ±30 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Puyallup numbers behind this page
| Measure | Puyallup | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 169 | 46 | 123 more |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 0 | 1 | 1 fewer |
| Median home value | $551,800 | $686,900 | 20% lower |
| Renter-occupied | 48% | 45% | 3 pts higher |
| Owner-occupied | 52% | 55% | 3 pts lower |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1985 | 2 years newer |
| Built before 1980 | 39% | 39% | same as median |
Largest differences first. Medians are the middle value across the covered Seattle-area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puyallup | 169 | 0 | 39% | 48% |
| Federal Way 9.4 mi | 23 | 1 | 40% | 45% |
| Auburn 9.5 mi | 49 | 0 | 33% | 39% |
| Lakewood 11.2 mi | 46 | 0 | 59% | 52% |
| Kent 15.0 mi | 60 | 2 | 39% | 43% |
| Renton 21.2 mi | 66 | 2 | 39% | 46% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98371 | 104 | $4,277,300 | 1996 (21) | 31 of 99 |
| 98372 | 46 | $724,930 | 1996 (10) | 16 of 42 |
| 98374 | 14 | $343,709 | 1996 (7) | 9 of 14 |
| 98373 | 5 | $65,794 | 1979 (1) | 2 of 3 |
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 | 16 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2009 | 27 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 42 |
| February | 48 |
| March | 3 |
| April | 5 |
| May | 2 |
| August | 2 |
| September | 2 |
| October | 3 |
| November | 23 |
| December | 39 |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Puyallup's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 98371 | 37% | 45% |
| 98372 | 31% | 33% |
| 98374 | 19% | 16% |
| 98373 | 13% | 19% |
Puyallup water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Puyallup?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Puyallup-area ZIPs have 32 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Puyallup ZIP codes do these crews cover?
98371, 98372, 98374, and 98373[7], in Pierce County. Nearby pages: Federal Way (9.4 mi), Auburn (9.5 mi), and Lakewood (11.2 mi)[4].
Which Puyallup ZIP code has the most flood claims?
98371, with 104 NFIP claims and $4,277,300 paid[1].
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.