Water damage restoration · Dripping Springs, Texas
Water damage restoration in Dripping Springs, TX
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Dripping Springs-area ZIPs: 42 flood claims since 1985[1]; 4% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Dripping Springs, in Hays County — ZIP 78620, counts 11,167 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Dripping Springs water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 11,167[3]+126.5% since 2020
- County
- Hays[3]
- Land area
- 8.8 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 42 since 1985[1]$1,678,678 paid across 32 claims · ZIP 78620
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 6[5]2016–2025 · latest Jan 22, 2024
- Winter-storm & freeze days, hays zone
- 19[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Hays Co.
- 5[6]of 19 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 4%[2]the 8th-highest share of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 51%[2]2020–2024
What the local data means for water damage in Dripping Springs
Dripping Springs is one of the fastest-growing Austin-metro suburbs tracked here: 11,167 people (2025 estimate), up 126.5% since 2020[3]. It covers 8.8 square miles (1,267 residents per square mile, the 13th densest), sits entirely in Hays County, in ZIP code 78620[4].
Dripping Springs mixes 67% of homes built since 2010 and 4% 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.
78620 is the city's single ZIP code[7].
The tracked suburbs closest by are Bee Cave (11.0 mi NE), Lakeway (12.7 mi NE) and Buda (16.7 mi SE)[4].
42 flood-insurance claims have come from Dripping Springs-area ZIP codes (78620) since 1985, and $1,678,678 has been paid on them (about $52,459 per paid claim)[1]. 2019 was the worst year, with 29 claims. That is the 5th-fewest of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Bee Cave (2), Lakeway (353), and Buda (67). Most jobs here start inside the house. Of the 41 claims rated in a flood zone, 5 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 36 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Dripping Springs-area flood claims cluster in May (31), June (1), and October (10) — 42 of 42 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Dripping Springs, weather observers filed 6 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (6 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 5 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4781, 2024)[6]. Nearby: Bee Cave (17), Lakeway (8), and Buda (28).
4% of Dripping Springs's 3,127 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 8th-highest share of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover (Bee Cave (0%), Lakeway (14%), and Buda (4%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
Freeze days in the hays zone: 19 in 2016–2025, latest Jan 20, 2025[5]. Nearby: Bee Cave (22), Lakeway (22), and Buda (19).
51% of Dripping Springs households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Dripping Springs records the 2nd-fewest flood reports nearby (6)[5], the 3rd-newest housing (by median year built) (2013, tied with Leander)[2], the 3rd-highest median home value ($635,600)[2], and the 3rd-highest renter share (51%)[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.
Get water damage help in Dripping Springs
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Dripping Springs cover ZIP code 78620.
Before reaching out: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Dripping Springs homes by building type
44%[2] of Dripping Springs's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 40%, the 3rd-highest multi-unit share of the 15 Austin-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: 397 of 3,127 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 1,703 | 54.5% | ±322 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 124 | 4.0% | ±104 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 266 | 8.5% | ±310 |
| 3–4 units | 81 | 2.6% | ±70 |
| 10–19 units | 231 | 7.4% | ±131 |
| 20–49 units | 286 | 9.1% | ±172 |
| 50 or more units | 397 | 12.7% | ±183 |
| Mobile home | 39 | 1.2% | ±44 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Dripping Springs numbers behind this page
| Measure | Dripping Springs | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renter-occupied | 51% | 31% | 21 pts higher |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 6 | 17 | 11 fewer |
| Median home value | $635,600 | $420,000 | 51% higher |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 42 | 67 | 25 fewer |
| Owner-occupied | 49% | 69% | 21 pts lower |
| Median year built | 2013 | 2010 | 3 years newer |
| Built before 1980 | 4% | 4% | same as median |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Austin-area suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Freeze days | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dripping Springs | 42 | 6 | 19 | 4% | 51% |
| Bee Cave 11.0 mi | 2 | 17 | 22 | 0% | 51% |
| Lakeway 12.7 mi | 353 | 8 | 22 | 14% | 14% |
| Buda 16.7 mi | 67 | 28 | 19 | 4% | 23% |
| Lago Vista 18.8 mi | 139 | 3 | 22 | 14% | 10% |
| Kyle 18.8 mi | 835 | 31 | 19 | 4% | 33% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78620 | 42 | $1,678,678 | 2019 (29) | 36 of 41 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 29 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1985 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| May | 31 |
| June | 1 |
| October | 10 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2024 | Flash Flood | 8.9 mi |
| May 8, 2019 | Flash Flood | 3.8 mi |
| May 3, 2019 | Flash Flood | 3.0 mi |
| May 3, 2019 | Flash Flood | 4.0 mi |
| Aug 16, 2016 | Flash Flood | 8.6 mi |
| May 19, 2016 | Flash Flood | 5.8 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Dripping Springs's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 78620 | 91% | 5% |
Common Dripping Springs water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Dripping Springs?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Dripping Springs-area ZIPs have 29 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Dripping Springs ZIP codes do these crews cover?
78620[7], in Hays County. Nearby pages: Bee Cave (11.0 mi), Lakeway (12.7 mi), and Buda (16.7 mi)[4].
When was the last flood report near Dripping Springs?
Jan 22, 2024: a flash flood report 8.9 miles from the city center[5].
My Dripping Springs home is fairly new — could the plumbing fixtures and water heater still be under warranty?
Possibly: 67% of Dripping Springs's housing units were built in 2010 or later[2], the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover. Check your closing paperwork for warranties before paying for a repair.
I rent in Dripping Springs. Who arranges the repair?
51% of occupied Dripping Springs homes are rented[2], the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Austin-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.