Water damage restoration · Clearwater, Florida
Water damage restoration in Clearwater, FL
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Clearwater-area ZIPs: 3,608 flood claims since 1978[1]; 56% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Clearwater, in Pinellas County — ZIPs 33755, 33759, 33761, 33756, 33765, 33764, 33767, 33763, counts 114,364 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Clearwater at a glance for water damage
- Population (2025 est.)
- 114,364[3]-2.5% since 2020
- County
- Pinellas[3]
- Land area
- 26.2 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 3,608 since 1978[1]$296,721,528 paid across 2,868 claims · ZIP 33755, 33759, 33761, 33756, 33765, 33764, 33767, 33763
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 2[5]2016–2025 · latest Oct 10, 2024
- Homes built before 1980
- 56%[2]the 5th-highest share of the 14 Tampa Bay–area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 41%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Clearwater data for water damage
Clearwater counts 114,364 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack -2.5% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 26.2 square miles holding 4,367 residents per square mile, the 1st densest of the suburbs here; it sits entirely in Pinellas County, with ZIP codes 33755, 33759, 33761, 33756, 33765, 33764, 33767, 33763[4].
Clearwater mixes 7% of homes built since 2010 and 56% 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 Clearwater goes through 8 ZIP codes — 33755 (20% of the city's land), 33759 (17% of the city's land), 33761 (14% of the city's land), 33756 (13% of the city's land), 33765 (13% of the city's land), 33764 (10% of the city's land), 33767 (8% of the city's land), 33763 (6% of the city's land)[6].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Dunedin (4.3 mi N), Safety Harbor (4.8 mi NE) and Largo (4.9 mi S)[4].
3,608 flood-insurance claims have come from Clearwater-area ZIP codes (33755, 33759, 33761, 33756, 33765, 33764, 33767, 33763) since 1978, and $296,721,528 has been paid on them (about $103,459 per paid claim)[1]. 2024 was the worst year, with 1,905 claims. That is the 2nd-most of the 14 Tampa Bay–area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Dunedin (1,654), Safety Harbor (142), and Largo (1,562). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 3,606 claims rated in a flood zone, 3,253 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 337 outside them (zones B, C or X), with 16 in undetermined zone D[1][7] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Clearwater-area flood claims cluster in March (613), September (1,852), and October (414) — 2,879 of 3,608 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Clearwater, weather observers filed 2 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (1 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: no flood declarations since 2000[8]. Nearby: Dunedin (2), Safety Harbor (1), and Largo (5).
56% of Clearwater's 61,123 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 5th-highest share of the 14 Tampa Bay–area suburbs we cover (Dunedin (61%), Safety Harbor (29%), and Largo (56%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
41% of Clearwater households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
Out of the 14 suburbs on this site, Clearwater has the 2nd-most NFIP flood claims (3,608)[1], the 3rd-oldest housing (by median year built) (1978, tied with Largo and Pinellas Park)[2], and the 3rd-highest renter share (41%)[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.
Finding water damage help around Clearwater
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Clearwater area — ZIP codes 33755, 33759, 33761, 33756, 33765, 33764, 33767, 33763.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Clearwater homes by building type
57%[2] of Clearwater's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 50%, the highest multi-unit share of the 14 Tampa Bay–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: 11,107 of 61,123 housing units[2].
Clearwater also has 3,254 mobile homes (5.3%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 23,294 | 38.1% | ±895 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 4,146 | 6.8% | ±568 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 1,416 | 2.3% | ±291 |
| 3–4 units | 2,774 | 4.5% | ±524 |
| 5–9 units | 4,203 | 6.9% | ±480 |
| 10–19 units | 4,974 | 8.1% | ±642 |
| 20–49 units | 5,948 | 9.7% | ±519 |
| 50 or more units | 11,107 | 18.2% | ±838 |
| Mobile home | 3,254 | 5.3% | ±454 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 7 | 0.0% | ±11 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Clearwater numbers behind this page
| Measure | Clearwater | Median of 14 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 3,608 | 1,188 | 2,420 more |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 2 | 5 | 3 fewer |
| Renter-occupied | 41% | 30% | 11 pts higher |
| Built before 1980 | 56% | 48% | 8 pts higher |
| Owner-occupied | 59% | 70% | 11 pts lower |
| Median home value | $361,300 | $337,750 | 7% higher |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1981 | 3 years older |
Largest differences first. Medians are the middle value across the covered Tampa Bay–area suburbs, from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater | 3,608 | 2 | 56% | 41% |
| Dunedin 4.3 mi | 1,654 | 2 | 61% | 29% |
| Safety Harbor 4.8 mi | 142 | 1 | 29% | 16% |
| Largo 4.9 mi | 1,562 | 5 | 56% | 38% |
| Oldsmar 7.7 mi | 898 | 0 | 23% | 23% |
| Pinellas Park 9.2 mi | 1,567 | 8 | 57% | 31% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33755 | 206 | $14,617,487 | 2024 (98) | 39 of 206 |
| 33759 | 125 | $14,906,745 | 2024 (76) | 39 of 124 |
| 33761 | 31 | $352,219 | 2024 (8) | 27 of 31 |
| 33756 | 369 | $22,949,690 | 2024 (153) | 94 of 368 |
| 33765 | 55 | $1,952,542 | 2024 (13) | 35 of 55 |
| 33764 | 545 | $50,343,439 | 2024 (366) | 73 of 545 |
| 33767 | 2,248 | $191,426,379 | 2024 (1182) | 7 of 2,248 |
| 33763 | 29 | $173,027 | 2024 (9) | 23 of 29 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2024 | 1,905 |
| 2023 | 93 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2017 | 27 |
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2015 | 20 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 27 |
| February | 20 |
| March | 613 |
| April | 20 |
| May | 39 |
| June | 114 |
| July | 93 |
| August | 356 |
| September | 1,852 |
| October | 414 |
| November | 41 |
| December | 19 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2024 | Flash Flood | 5.1 mi |
| Aug 31, 2016 | Flood | 7.7 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Clearwater's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 33755 | 20% | 96% |
| 33759 | 17% | 82% |
| 33761 | 14% | 69% |
| 33756 | 13% | 46% |
| 33765 | 13% | 78% |
| 33764 | 10% | 40% |
| 33767 | 8% | 100% |
| 33763 | 6% | 46% |
water damage questions from Clearwater homeowners
Do I need flood insurance in Clearwater?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Clearwater-area ZIPs have 2,090 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Clearwater ZIP codes do these crews cover?
33755, 33759, 33761, 33756, 33765, 33764, 33767, and 33763[6], in Pinellas County. Nearby pages: Dunedin (4.3 mi), Safety Harbor (4.8 mi), and Largo (4.9 mi)[4].
Which Clearwater ZIP code has the most flood claims?
33767, with 2,248 NFIP claims and $191,426,379 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Clearwater?
Oct 10, 2024: a flash flood report 5.1 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Clearwater homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
56% of Clearwater's housing units were built before 1980, 16.1% before 1960[2] — the 5th-highest share of the 14 Tampa Bay–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 Clearwater. Who arranges the repair?
41% of occupied Clearwater homes are rented[2], the 3rd-highest share of the 14 Tampa Bay–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
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.