Water damage restoration · Lakeway, Texas
Water damage restoration in Lakeway, TX
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Lakeway-area ZIPs: 353 flood claims since 1981[1]; 14% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Lakeway, in Travis County — ZIPs 78734, 78738, counts 19,027 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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The Lakeway water damage picture in brief
- Population (2025 est.)
- 19,027[3]-0.9% since 2020
- County
- Travis[3]
- Land area
- 12.9 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 353 since 1981[1]$11,178,747 paid across 290 claims · ZIP 78734, 78738
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 8[5]2016–2025 · latest Aug 15, 2021
- Winter-storm & freeze days, travis zone
- 22[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Travis Co.
- 8[6]of 30 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 14%[2]the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 14%[2]2020–2024
What Lakeway's numbers say about water damage
Lakeway is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 19,027 people (2025 estimate), down just 0.9% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 12.9 square miles holding 1,478 residents per square mile, the 12th densest of the suburbs here; it sits entirely in Travis County, with ZIP codes 78734, 78738[4].
Lakeway mixes 36% of homes built since 2010 and 14% 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.
2 ZIP codes cover Lakeway — 78734 (56% of the city's land), 78738 (39% of the city's land)[7].
The closest tracked neighbours are Bee Cave (3.6 mi SE), Lago Vista (6.8 mi N) and Dripping Springs (12.7 mi SW)[4].
353 flood-insurance claims have come from Lakeway-area ZIP codes (78734, 78738) since 1981, and $11,178,747 has been paid on them (about $38,547 per paid claim)[1]. 1997 was the worst year, with 69 claims. That is the 3rd-most of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Bee Cave (2), Lago Vista (139), and Dripping Springs (42). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 350 claims rated in a flood zone, 285 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 65 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Lakeway-area flood claims cluster in June (109), October (58), and December (54) — 221 of 353 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Lakeway, weather observers filed 8 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (7 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 8 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4879, 2025)[6]. Nearby: Bee Cave (17), Lago Vista (3), and Dripping Springs (6).
14% of Lakeway's 8,561 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Austin-area suburbs we cover (Bee Cave (0%), Lago Vista (14%), and Dripping Springs (4%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
Freeze days in the travis zone: 22 in 2016–2025, latest Feb 22, 2025[5]. Nearby: Bee Cave (22), Lago Vista (22), and Dripping Springs (19).
86% of Lakeway households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Lakeway records the highest median home value ($841,300)[2], the 2nd-lowest renter share (14%)[2], the 3rd-most NFIP flood claims (353)[1], and the 3rd-fewest flood reports nearby (8)[5].
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 Lakeway: what to do next
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Lakeway area — ZIP codes 78734, 78738.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Lakeway homes by building type
With 78%[2] of homes detached, most Lakeway water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is attached house (townhouse, rowhouse): 561 of 8,561 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 6,717 | 78.5% | ±351 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 561 | 6.6% | ±193 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 155 | 1.8% | ±120 |
| 3–4 units | 198 | 2.3% | ±153 |
| 5–9 units | 326 | 3.8% | ±208 |
| 10–19 units | 76 | 0.9% | ±76 |
| 20–49 units | 236 | 2.8% | ±129 |
| 50 or more units | 277 | 3.2% | ±187 |
| Boat, RV, van, etc. | 15 | 0.2% | ±25 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The data underneath this Lakeway page
| Measure | Lakeway | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 353 | 67 | 286 more |
| Built before 1980 | 14% | 4% | 9 pts higher |
| Median home value | $841,300 | $420,000 | 100% higher |
| Renter-occupied | 14% | 31% | 17 pts lower |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 8 | 17 | 9 fewer |
| Owner-occupied | 86% | 69% | 17 pts higher |
| Median year built | 2004 | 2010 | 6 years older |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeway | 353 | 8 | 22 | 14% | 14% |
| Bee Cave 3.6 mi | 2 | 17 | 22 | 0% | 51% |
| Lago Vista 6.8 mi | 139 | 3 | 22 | 14% | 10% |
| Dripping Springs 12.7 mi | 42 | 6 | 19 | 4% | 51% |
| Cedar Park 14.7 mi | 61 | 27 | 23 | 6% | 33% |
| Leander 16.9 mi | 104 | 20 | 23 | 3% | 27% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78734 | 351 | $11,178,747 | 1997 (69) | 63 of 348 |
| 78738 | 2 | $0 | 2001 (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 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2018 | 54 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2007 | 53 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 3 |
| February | 9 |
| March | 1 |
| April | 1 |
| May | 13 |
| June | 109 |
| July | 53 |
| August | 9 |
| September | 8 |
| October | 58 |
| November | 35 |
| December | 54 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2021 | Flash Flood | 8.1 mi |
| Sep 9, 2020 | Flash Flood | 9.8 mi |
| May 8, 2019 | Flash Flood | 9.2 mi |
| Oct 16, 2018 | Flood | 3.1 mi |
| Mar 28, 2018 | Flash Flood | 9.5 mi |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Flash Flood | 9.6 mi |
| May 19, 2016 | Flash Flood | 8.0 mi |
| Apr 17, 2016 | Flash Flood | 8.2 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Lakeway's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 78734 | 56% | 37% |
| 78738 | 39% | 12% |
water damage questions from Lakeway homeowners
Do I need flood insurance in Lakeway?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Lakeway-area ZIPs have 72 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Lakeway ZIP codes do these crews cover?
78734 and 78738[7], in Travis County. Nearby pages: Bee Cave (3.6 mi), Lago Vista (6.8 mi), and Dripping Springs (12.7 mi)[4].
Which Lakeway ZIP code has the most flood claims?
78734, with 351 NFIP claims and $11,178,747 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Lakeway?
Aug 15, 2021: a flash flood report 8.1 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Lakeway homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
14% of Lakeway's housing units were built before 1980, 2.2% before 1960[2] — the 3rd-highest share of the 15 Austin-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.