Water damage restoration · Kirkwood, Missouri
Water damage restoration in Kirkwood, MO
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Kirkwood-area ZIPs: 285 flood claims since 1979[1]; 70% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Kirkwood, in St. Louis County — ZIP 63122, counts 29,331 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Kirkwood water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 29,331[3]-0.5% since 2020
- County
- St. Louis[3]
- Land area
- 9.2 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 285 since 1979[1]$10,301,489 paid across 222 claims · ZIP 63122
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 20[5]2016–2025 · latest Aug 10, 2025
- Winter-storm & freeze days, st. louis zone
- 12[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, St. Louis Co.
- 14[6]of 23 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 70%[2]the 4th-highest share of the 15 St. Louis–area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 23%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Kirkwood data for water damage
Kirkwood counts 29,331 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -0.5% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 9.2 square miles holding 3,194 residents per square mile, the 5th densest of the suburbs here; it sits entirely in St. Louis County, with ZIP code 63122[4].
Kirkwood mixes 9% of homes built since 2010 and 70% 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.
One ZIP code covers the whole city: 63122[7].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Webster Groves (3.6 mi E), Ballwin (7.1 mi W) and University City (7.7 mi NE)[4].
285 flood-insurance claims have come from Kirkwood-area ZIP codes (63122) since 1979, and $10,301,489 has been paid on them (about $46,403 per paid claim)[1]. 1993 was the worst year, with 35 claims. That is the 6th-fewest of the 15 St. Louis–area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Webster Groves (111), Ballwin (244), and University City (1,257). Of the 221 claims rated in a flood zone, 144 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 77 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Kirkwood-area flood claims cluster in April (64), May (50), and December (35) — 149 of 285 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Kirkwood, weather observers filed 20 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (17 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 14 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4877, 2025)[6]. Nearby: Webster Groves (21), Ballwin (16), and University City (27).
70% of Kirkwood's 12,978 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 4th-highest share of the 15 St. Louis–area suburbs we cover (Webster Groves (80%), Ballwin (59%), and University City (85%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
77% of Kirkwood households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Kirkwood records the 3rd-most flood reports nearby (20)[5], the 3rd-oldest housing (by median year built) (1962)[2], and the 3rd-highest median home value ($451,400)[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.
Kirkwood storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Kirkwood, 2016–2025: 17 flash-flood reports, 1 flood report, and 2 heavy-rain reports[5]. Peak: 70% in May, July, and August. Busiest year 2025 (4); 3 of 10 years had none. Busiest month July 2022 (3). Latest: flash-flood report, Aug 10, 2025, 8.3 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| May | 3 | – | 1 | 4 |
| Jun | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| Jul | 4 | – | – | 4 |
| Aug | 6 | – | – | 6 |
| Nov | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
Get water damage help in Kirkwood
Your request reaches Water damage restoration contractors who serve Kirkwood (ZIP code 63122).
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Kirkwood homes by building type
With 75%[2] of homes detached, most Kirkwood 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: 760 of 12,978 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 9,693 | 74.7% | ±453 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 327 | 2.5% | ±108 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 83 | 0.6% | ±85 |
| 3–4 units | 577 | 4.4% | ±189 |
| 5–9 units | 719 | 5.5% | ±231 |
| 10–19 units | 482 | 3.7% | ±199 |
| 20–49 units | 321 | 2.5% | ±142 |
| 50 or more units | 760 | 5.9% | ±175 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 16 | 0.1% | ±27 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Kirkwood page
| Measure | Kirkwood | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 20 | 14 | 6 more |
| Median home value | $451,400 | $326,200 | 38% higher |
| Built before 1980 | 70% | 54% | 16 pts higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 285 | 347 | 62 fewer |
| Median year built | 1962 | 1977 | 15 years older |
| Renter-occupied | 23% | 23% | same as median |
| Owner-occupied | 77% | 77% | same as median |
Sorted by largest difference. Each median is the middle value across the covered St. Louis–area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkwood | 285 | 20 | 70% | 23% |
| Webster Groves 3.6 mi | 111 | 21 | 80% | 24% |
| Ballwin 7.1 mi | 244 | 16 | 59% | 16% |
| University City 7.7 mi | 1,257 | 27 | 85% | 44% |
| Maryland Heights 9.9 mi | 161 | 14 | 61% | 43% |
| Chesterfield 10.0 mi | 321 | 11 | 46% | 22% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63122 | 285 | $10,301,489 | 1993 (35) | 77 of 221 |
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 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2022 | 8 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 15 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 4 |
| February | 12 |
| March | 14 |
| April | 64 |
| May | 50 |
| June | 13 |
| July | 28 |
| August | 17 |
| September | 24 |
| November | 24 |
| December | 35 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2025 | Flash Flood | 8.3 mi |
| May 19, 2025 | Heavy Rain | 4.9 mi |
| May 19, 2025 | Flash Flood | 7.7 mi |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Flood | 5.1 mi |
| Nov 5, 2024 | Heavy Rain | 8.9 mi |
| Nov 4, 2024 | Flash Flood | 4.3 mi |
| Apr 2, 2024 | Flash Flood | 6.4 mi |
| Jul 17, 2023 | Flash Flood | 4.0 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Kirkwood's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 63122 | 100% | 63% |
Kirkwood water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Kirkwood?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Kirkwood-area ZIPs have 42 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Kirkwood ZIP codes do these crews cover?
63122[7], in St. Louis County. Nearby pages: Webster Groves (3.6 mi), Ballwin (7.1 mi), and University City (7.7 mi)[4].
When was the last flood report near Kirkwood?
Aug 10, 2025: a flash flood report 8.3 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Kirkwood homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
70% of Kirkwood's housing units were built before 1980, 47.4% before 1960[2] — the 4th-highest share of the 15 St. Louis–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.