Flood damage claims in Des Plaines, IL
When the Des Plaines River comes up, the claim runs on a federal flood policy with a sworn deadline and a short list for basements. We read that policy, establish where the water came from, list the loss and prepare your proof.
Illinois licensed public adjusters, on the policyholder's side. Nothing to pay upfront.
The river gauge, on both of its scales
Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, in feet. On November 14, 2014 every reading went up by 10.
| Since 2014 | Before | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| 20.92 | 10.92 | Record crest, April 19, 2013 |
| 19.88 | 9.88 | July 14, 2017 crest, preliminary |
| 19 | 9 | Major flood |
| 18 | 8 | Moderate flood |
| 15 | 5 | Flood stage, and where CBS Chicago put the river on April 15, 2026 |
National Weather Service Chicago: changes to flood levels and July 2017 flooding. CBS Chicago, April 2026.
What the river's numbers can and can't do for your file
Old reports read 10 feet low
The gauge moved to the Euclid Avenue and West Lake Avenue bridge after a dam came out in 2014, and its zero point dropped 10 feet. A 2013 notice saying 10.92 and a 2017 report saying 19.88 mean the 2013 water stood higher. Add 10 to anything older than the change.
The gauge reads the river, not your house
A reading is height above a reference point at one bridge. Your claim needs the height in your rooms: the water line on the walls, photographed with a tape in the frame. Our photo list for property damage shows what to shoot before anything goes to the curb.
Your block has a history on paper
The City's April 2013 flood notice names Big Bend Drive and stretches of River Road, Golf Road, Lee Street, Algonquin Road and Busse Highway as closed. Notices like it help date an event and show that the water reached beyond one lot.
One floor drain, two different claims
Water up through the basement drain looks the same either way. What the street outside was doing that day decides which policy answers.
Rain overloads the sewer, yards stay dry
With no flood in the area, the federal form excludes water that backs up through sewers or drains or overflows from a sump. This one goes to your homeowners policy, if it carries a water backup endorsement.
That endorsement has its own number, explained in our guide to the water backup endorsement limit. We handle these as sewer backup claims.
The river is out, and the drain rises too
The form's test for a flood is a general and temporary inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land, or of two or more properties, one of them yours. When that flood is the proximate cause, the backup and the seepage fall inside the flood claim.
Pictures of your neighbors' yards and of the street, with the time on them, carry this proof. Our sewer backup vs flood guide goes further into the evidence.
This house is from one of our flooded basement claims. Many owners give up at "flood isn't covered"; on this one, the real cause and the wording of the policy settled it. Yours may carry more than one coverage, so our flood damage claims work starts by reading all of them.
What the federal form pays for below ground
Upstairs, a National Flood Insurance Program policy works much as you'd expect. In a basement it pays only for a written list, whichever flood zone you're in. Here is that list on a drawing of a basement after the river has been in it.
Check the word "basement" before anyone applies this list. The form means an area with its floor below ground level on all sides, so a level with a door at grade on one side may not be one. Clean-up is on the list too, and so are fuel tanks and water softeners. Space under the lowest floor of a newer elevated building in a mapped zone has the same limit.
The City's permit list, and who pays for code work
After the 2013 flood Des Plaines told residents that nearly all construction work needs a permit. Set that list next to your repair estimate before work starts.
Needs a permit
- Electrical wiring and panels
- Insulation
- Wall framing
- Water heaters and boilers
- Heating and air conditioning
- Plumbing
- Sewer repairs or clean-outs
- Foundation repairs
- Windows and exterior doors
- Demolition
Doesn't need one
- Carpet or tile, out or in
- Drywall, unless insulation is replaced too
- Cabinets, unless plumbing or electrical is involved
Where code cost lands
The form excludes the cost of complying with an ordinance, then adds up to $30,000 under Coverage D, with no separate deductible, when the City enforces its rule against your building and repairs reach 50 percent of market value.
A made-up example: $150,000 of repairs on a $280,000 house is about 54 percent. A second route covers a house flooded twice in 10 years at an average of 25 percent or more, with the earlier claim paid by the program, so July 2017 and April 2026 would sit in one window.
Lists from the City's 2013 notice, which gives the same rule in more detail. Ask the City at 847-391-5300 what applies to your job today.
Five clauses, and when each one comes due
These are the duties the federal form puts on you. A private flood policy has its own wording, and we read that one instead.
| Clause | When | What the form asks, and our part |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | Promptly, in writing | A phone call to the agent isn't the written notice. We check that yours went in. |
| Inventory | As soon as reasonably possible | Damaged and undamaged property separated, with quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss for each item. We build this list with you, bills and receipts attached. |
| Proof of loss | Within 60 days after the loss | Your statement of the amount, signed and sworn. The insurer's adjuster may offer a form as a courtesy, and the date still binds you. We prepare the figures for your signature; our guide to the sworn proof of loss walks through the document. |
| Appraisal | 20 days to name an appraiser | Open when the two sides disagree on value. Each side's appraiser then has 15 days to agree on an umpire, and any two of the three set the amount. |
| Suit | One year from the written denial | Filed in United States District Court. That step is for an attorney, so note the date on any denial letter the day it arrives. |
Clause wording from the federal Dwelling Form, 44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1). Building payments also name your lender, as our page on the mortgage company on the insurance check explains.
Start a Des Plaines flood claim review
We read your policies and any estimate free, and tell you plainly what we see. Rated 4.9 from 33 Google reviews, all on our reviews page.
Have these close when we call:
- The date the water came in, and your address
- Your flood policy declarations page, and your homeowners policy
- Photos of the water line, the rooms, the street and next door
- Anything already sent to you: letters, a proof of loss form, an estimate
Counting from the date of the loss, tell us how many of the 60 days you've used.
Des Plaines flood claim questions
Do you handle flood damage claims in Des Plaines, IL?
Yes. We work across Illinois, so a flooded house or shop anywhere in Des Plaines is one we can come out to and walk through with you.
Does a homeowners policy pay for a Des Plaines River flood?
A standard homeowners policy leaves out flood. The flood policy answers for river water, and a water backup endorsement may answer when the sewer backs up with no flood in the area.
How long do I have to file a flood proof of loss?
The federal Dwelling Form asks for a signed, sworn proof within 60 days after the loss. Give written notice to the insurer right away and start the inventory before anything is thrown out.
Why do older reports show a much lower river level?
The zero point of the Des Plaines gauge dropped 10 feet on November 14, 2014. Add 10 to an older reading: the 10.92 record of April 2013 is 20.92 on today's scale.
What does a flood claim review cost me?
Reading your policies and estimate is free. If we take the claim, our fee is a percentage of what the insurer pays, set in our signed contract, so a claim that brings in nothing costs you nothing.