Desert Highlands, Scottsdale
Water Damage Restoration in Desert Highlands, Scottsdale, AZ
Desert Highlands homes sit at the foot of Pinnacle Peak. Watch for aging plumbing, runoff from the peak and leaks in houses left empty.
ZIP code
85255
Member families, per the club
563
To Pinnacle Peak, straight line
About 1.0 mile
By road from City Hall
About 19.5 miles
About Desert Highlands
Desert Highlands is a private club community at the foot of Pinnacle Peak, on Happy Valley Road in ZIP 85255. Developer Lyle Anderson set out in the early 1980s to build it around a Jack Nicklaus desert golf course, the club says. The club lists 563 member families.
At the foot of Pinnacle Peak: where storm water goes
Desert Highlands sits about a mile from Pinnacle Peak, a landform the city names for steep slopes, shallow soils and rock outcrops. Rain that cannot soak in runs downhill.
Straight-line, the center of the community is about 1.0 mile from the peak and 1.2 miles from the center of Pinnacle Peak Park.
FEMA's flood layer puts the center of Desert Highlands in Zone X, a 0.2 percent annual chance hazard area. A search around the community found 11 mapped areas: 7 in Zone X, 3 in Zone AO with a listed depth of 1 foot and 1 in Zone A. Zone AO and Zone A are special flood hazard areas.
Zones are set parcel by parcel, so look up your address on the current FEMA flood map and ask your insurer what applies to you.
Pima Road lies about 1.7 miles west. The city lists Pima Road, north of Pinnacle Peak Road, among frequently flooding streets, and a city-led drainage channel there is still in design. For nearby areas, see Troon and Pinnacle Peak.
Older Desert Highlands homes: supply lines, hoses and valves
LINKS Magazine says many early homes in Desert Highlands are showing their age. In an older national study, a 30-year-old home was 3 times as likely to have a supply or drainage plumbing problem.
Washing machine hoses
In the IBHS data, half of washing machine water losses traced to a burst supply line, at more than $6,000 each on average. Machine makers advise replacing hoses every 5 years and inspecting them every 6 months.
Past the 30-year mark
Desert Highlands began in the early 1980s, so some homes are well past the 30 years in that study. Ask when the water heater, supply lines and shutoff valves were last replaced.
Start with what you can see
Look at shutoff valves, the lines under sinks and the hoses behind the washer. In a house from the 1980s, any that were never replaced are decades old.
A leak in a home left empty: what weeks of water can do
In the Census tract that holds the club, 10.4% of housing units are seasonal, recreational or occasional-use homes. The EPA says water-damaged areas and items should be dried in 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold.
Club membership comes with the purchase of a home or homesite. A house left closed for weeks can hide a slow leak. The monsoon runs from June 15 to September 30, the National Weather Service says, so summer storms can also meet an empty house.
The EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control. It advises keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally between 30% and 50%. The EPA says a moldy patch smaller than roughly 3 feet by 3 feet is usually a homeowner job. For larger areas, see mold remediation and the guide on mold after water damage.
Water in your Desert Highlands home? First steps
Close the main valve first. Then keep clear of power, photograph the damage and call for help.
- 01
Close the main valve
Stop the flow at the main. In Scottsdale, owners are responsible for leaks on their side of the meter. For a problem on the city side, call the City of Scottsdale water line at 480-312-5650.
- 02
Keep outlets dry
Stay out of water that reaches outlets or cords. Switch off the breaker only from dry ground.
- 03
Photograph the damage
Capture the source, the water line on walls and each wet item.
- 04
Check the washer and water heater
Look for a split hose, a wet pan or a rusted tank. These are common sources in older homes.
- 05
Call for help
Describe where the water started and how far it spread. Standing water comes out first, then walls and floors are dried. See structural drying.
Water damage services in Desert Highlands
Pick the job below that fits your Desert Highlands home. Scottsdale water damage restoration covers the rest of the city.
Emergency water extraction
Standing water from a leak or overflow: what to do first, what can be saved and how drying works.Mold remediation and testing
Mold or a musty smell after a leak: when testing helps and how mold remediation works.Slab leak and burst pipe
Slab leak, burst pipe or a leaking water heater: what to do first and who fixes what.Flood and storm damage
Monsoon flooding, a roof leak or water dripping from the ceiling after a storm.Sewage cleanup
A drain backup or a toilet overflow brought sewage into your home. Stay safe, then call.Structural drying
Walls and floors still wet after the water is gone: how drying works, how long it takes, what can be saved.Commercial water damage
Water in an office, restaurant or shop: what to do first, cutting downtime and the file your insurer needs.
More North Scottsdale neighborhoods
Water damage pages for other neighborhoods in North Scottsdale.
- Water damage in North ScottsdaleDC Ranch and Pinnacle Peak Park, about 16 to 21 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.
- DC RanchReata Wash flood project area, about 15.9 miles from Scottsdale City Hall
- SilverleafGated hillside village inside DC Ranch, opened in 2002, 16.2 miles from City Hall
- GrayhawkOpened in 1996, built out by 2004, with two city parks; 15.3 miles from City Hall
- McDowell Mountain RanchMost homes here date from the 1990s; about 14.0 miles from City Hall
- Windgate RanchGateway Trailhead sits at its entrance; 14.0 miles from Scottsdale City Hall
- TroonTroon Village circles Troon Mountain, about 20.5 miles from Scottsdale City Hall
- Pinnacle PeakPinnacle Peak Park covers 150 acres, about 21.4 miles by road from Scottsdale City Hall
- Desert MountainDesert Mountain spans 8,300 acres and 35 villages, about 28.5 miles from Scottsdale City Hall
Desert Highlands water damage questions
How old are the homes in Desert Highlands?
The club says developer Lyle Anderson set out in the early 1980s to build a community around a Jack Nicklaus desert golf course. LINKS Magazine says many early homes are showing their age. In the Census tract that holds the club, 10.5% of homes were built from 1980 to 1989.
I bought a remodeled Desert Highlands home. Is the plumbing new?
Not necessarily. LINKS Magazine reports a Residential Remodel Program launched in 2013, with ten houses remodeled and resold when it wrote. A remodel may replace some pipes and leave others. Ask what was replaced and where the main shutoff is.
Does hard water matter for Desert Highlands plumbing?
The city's 2026 water quality report gives 13 to 17 grains per gallon for the area north of Chaparral Road. The U.S. Geological Survey says scale from heated hard water can shorten the life of equipment and clog pipes. The city says hardness is not a health concern.
Does the Pima Road channel protect Desert Highlands?
The channel sits about 1.7 miles west of the community center, and it is still in design. The city runs it with the Flood Control District, whose page was updated May 15, 2026. It is meant to collect storm water from the east and northeast. Look up your address on the current FEMA flood map and ask your insurer what applies.
Pick your town for local storm risks and what to do first when water gets into a home.
- ScottsdaleIndian Bend Wash Greenbelt: 11 miles of flood control.
- Paradise ValleyAbout 4.4 miles from Scottsdale City Hall, with four water providers and many properties on septic.
- North ScottsdaleDC Ranch and Pinnacle Peak Park, about 16 to 21 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.
- Fountain HillsAbout 21 miles from Scottsdale City Hall. 58% of homes here were built from 1980 to 1999.
- Cave CreekFounded in 1870 as a mining and ranching community, about 29 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.
- CarefreeEasy Street and Ho Hum Road, about 27 miles from Scottsdale City Hall.