McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale
Water Damage Restoration in McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
McCormick Ranch houses, townhomes and condos face the greenbelt lakes, the FEMA flood map, shared walls and plumbing from the 1970s.
Drive from City Hall
About 5.5 miles
Median year built (Census)
1979
Detached houses (Census)
184 of 2,190 homes
Homes empty part of the year (Census)
About 20%
About McCormick Ranch
McCormick Ranch is a master-planned community in the City of Scottsdale, about 5.5 miles by road from City Hall. Kaiser-Aetna bought the roughly 4,200-acre ranch in 1970, and its first plan passed on September 21, 1971, under the city's new Planned Community District zoning. The community association says the Indian Bend Wash runs along its southern border.
Water in your McCormick Ranch home? What to do first
Shut off the water, tell the neighbors who share a wall and call for help. If the water is storm runoff outside, stay clear of it.
- 01
Close the valve
Turn off the valve under the fixture, or the main valve for your home.
- 02
Tell the neighbors
Water can cross a shared wall or run down to the unit below. Tell the people next door, above and below you.
- 03
Stay out of storm water
If the water is runoff from a storm, keep out of low areas and washes. The National Weather Service calls being near a wash particularly dangerous.
- 04
Photos, then the city line if needed
Take photos of the leak and the damage. If the leak is on the city's side of the meter, the City of Scottsdale water line is 480-312-5650.
- 05
Call for water removal
Standing water comes out first, then fans and dehumidifiers dry the walls. See water extraction in McCormick Ranch.
Lakes Angela, Nina and Margherite: how the greenbelt holds storm water
The McCormick Ranch Property Owners' Association says storm water from north Scottsdale passes through greenbelts into lakes Angela, Nina and Margherite, which act as detention basins. Flows then enter the Indian Bend Wash.
A detention basin holds storm water and lets it out more slowly. The association says the golf courses add storage and that the greenbelt was designed to slow, spread, filter and store storm water instead of using a concrete channel.
The city's historic study adds a detail at the south edge. In the late 1970s a siphon began carrying the Arizona Canal under the floodplain just south of Indian Bend Road. Before that, the canal crossed Indian Bend Wash unprotected.
On a lot beside a lake or fairway, watch where rain runs toward your doors and walls. See flood and storm damage.
What FEMA's flood map shows in McCormick Ranch
On FEMA's flood map, the center of McCormick Ranch is in Zone X, an area of minimal flood hazard. Other spots in and around the community are mapped as Zone AE, a high-risk flood zone, and some are marked floodway.
Flood zones change from lot to lot, so the zone at the center says nothing about your own home.
Use the current FEMA flood map for your address, and ask your insurer what is and is not covered. For the basics on plumbing and roof water, see does homeowners insurance cover water damage.
Townhomes, condos and houses: how leaks cross shared walls
In the center Census tract, only 184 of 2,190 homes are detached houses. Most of the rest are attached homes or units in larger buildings.
Attached single-family homes
The tract has 680 attached homes, such as townhomes. A leak behind a shared wall can reach the home next door.
Units in larger buildings
About 1,295 homes are in buildings with 2 or more units, and 421 homes are in buildings of 50 or more units. Water from an upstairs unit can stain the ceiling below.
Toilet and sink lines
In an older national IBHS study, faulty supply lines, flanges, fill valves or overflow caused 78% of toilet water damage. Faulty supply lines caused 44% of sink damage. Check the lines under each fixture.
Drying a shared wall
A shared wall may be wet on both sides. Moisture meters show how far the water has gone before fans and dehumidifiers start. See structural drying.
Plumbing from the 1970s: what a 1979 median build year means
In the Census tract with McCormick Ranch's center, the median home was built in 1979, and 54% were built from 1970 to 1979. Plumbing from that era is more than 40 years old if it was never replaced.
The city's study says the first plan passed in 1971. Across ZIP 85258, 51% of homes were built in the 1980s and 28% in the 1970s.
The city puts hardness north of Chaparral Road at 13 to 17 grains per gallon, and McCormick Ranch lies north of that road. The IBHS study says sediment builds up faster in hard water areas and advises flushing a water heater every 6 months. A plumber can tell you which lines in your home are original.
Water damage services in McCormick Ranch
McCormick Ranch jobs range from shared-wall leaks to storm water at the door. Pick the guide that matches your job. The city says McCormick Ranch, Gainey Ranch and Scottsdale Ranch were all annexed in the 1960s.
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 Scottsdale neighborhoods
Water damage pages for other neighborhoods in Scottsdale.
- Old Town Scottsdale71% of homes near City Hall are in buildings of 50 or more units
- South ScottsdaleIndian Bend Wash greenbelt and Granite Reef Wash, in the city's Southern Scottsdale area
- Scottsdale RanchLake Serena and 1980s homes, about 9.4 miles from Scottsdale City Hall
- Gainey RanchA 1984 reclaimed-water plant for golf course irrigation, about 6.6 miles from City Hall
McCormick Ranch water damage questions
What role do the McCormick Ranch lakes play in storm water?
The community association says lakes Angela, Nina and Margherite act as detention basins, which hold storm water and release it slowly. It says flows then enter the Indian Bend Wash. That is the association's description of its own system, not a promise about any lot. Ask your insurer how flood water is handled under your policy.
My lot backs onto a lake or fairway. What should I watch after a big storm?
Walk the yard and look for water pooling against walls, doors or the slab. In September 2014, Sky Harbor recorded 3.30 inches in about 7 hours, the most rain on a calendar day since records began in 1895, the National Weather Service says. A storm that size shows why drainage near the house matters.
A neighbor's pipe burst. Could my townhome wall be wet too?
It can be. A shared wall can hold water on both sides, and 680 homes in the center tract are attached. A moisture meter finds damp drywall you cannot see. Tell your neighbor and call for help before the wall stays wet.
What should I do about leaks and AC drains before leaving McCormick Ranch for the summer?
The Census estimates about 20% of homes in the center tract (444, margin of error 174) are vacant for seasonal use. A federal maintenance checklist says a plugged AC drain can cause water damage in the house, and Phoenix averages 111 days a year at or above 100 degrees. Have the drain checked, close the main water valve and ask someone to look inside.
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.