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Basement Risk Index™ · Community Report

Basement Flood Risk in Huntington Woods, Michigan

Huntington Woods’s Basement Risk Index is 88/100 (VERY HIGH). 88% of homes here were built before 1960 (U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, updated Jul 2026), the biggest driver of basement-flooding risk in this region.

88BRI / 100
VERY HIGH RISK
Ranked #7 of 116 metro Detroit communities

Data confidence: C, modeled from housing-age measures; no local flood records integrated yet. How the score is built →

Huntington Woods, Michigan carries a Basement Risk Index of 88 out of 100, ranking #7 of 116 metro Detroit communities, far above the metro median of 37. Huntington Woods is largely a postwar community: 88% of its homes predate 1960 and the biggest share was built in the nineteen-fifties, an era whose basements were plumbed before perimeter drainage was routine. Among Huntington Woods and its five nearest neighbors it carries the second-highest modeled risk; its housing is almost entirely owner-occupied and higher-income for the region.

Water in your basement in Huntington Woods right now?

  1. Don’t enter standing water if the power is on. Cut it at the breaker only from a dry spot, or call an electrician.
  2. Photograph and video everything before you move or clean up anything, insurance and city claims both turn on this.
  3. Michigan law gives you about 45 days from discovery to file a written damage claim with your sewer authority. Start today.
  4. Once it is safe, call a licensed waterproofing contractor. Do not wait for it to dry on its own.

Huntington Woods basement risk at a glance

Basement Risk Index88 / 100 (VERY HIGH)
Metro rank#7 of 116
Homes built before 196088%
Peak building era1950s (47% of homes)
Median year built1952
Median home value$473,900
Median household income$190,150
Owner-occupied96%
Neighborhoods analyzed2

Huntington Woods's score is modeled from U.S. Census housing data; no municipal flood records are integrated yet. The Basement Risk Index is built from U.S. Census housing data and documented flood records. See our full methodology.

When Huntington Woods was built

Huntington Woods's housing is heavily concentrated in one decade, peaking in the nineteen-fifties at about 47% of today's homes; nearly all of the stock, 88%, predates 1960. These are higher-value homes for the metro, and basements built before the 1960s typically lack the sump pumps, perimeter drain tile, and backwater valves that became standard later, leaving many on their original clay drain tiles.

2020 or later
0%
2010s
1%
2000s
2%
1990s
4%
1980s
1%
1970s
1%
1960s
3%
1950s
47%
1940s
27%
Before 1940
14%

How basement risk varies inside Huntington Woods

We score 2 individual neighborhoods inside Huntington Woods, and the pattern is skewed to the higher bands: 2 fall in the high or very high band, 0 are elevated, and 0 are moderate or lower. The number that matters is the one for your own block, not the city average.

2Very High
0High
0Elevated
0Moderate
0Lower

What this means for Huntington Woods homeowners

Huntington Woods sits in the most exposed band on the Index. If you have any history of dampness, cracks, or a musty smell, it is worth a professional look before the next heavy rain rather than after. Among its immediate neighbors, Huntington Woods scores higher than Oak Park, so the block next door is a better guide than any metro-wide average.

Why Huntington Woods homes face basement risk

Basement risk in Huntington Woods comes down to two things: how old its houses are and the clay beneath them. With nearly all of its homes, 88%, built before 1960 and the biggest share going up in the nineteen-fifties, many sit on original clay drain tile, and southeast Michigan's dense clay holds water against those foundations rather than letting it drain. Part of Huntington Woods sits on combined sewers or drains to a combined-overflow district, so on those blocks sewer backup, not just wall seepage, is the failure mode to plan for first. Communities in Huntington Woods's risk band were among those hit hardest when the June 2021 storms put tens of thousands of metro Detroit basements underwater and triggered a federal disaster declaration. If a backup has already put water on a floor here, Michigan law leaves a narrow window to file a written claim: how to file a sewer-backup claim in metro Detroit →.

How Huntington Woods compares

Huntington Woods's Index of 88 ranks #7 of 116 communities region-wide and sits above the metro Detroit median of 37. It runs lower than its nearby neighbor Pleasant Ridge.

Does insurance cover it?

Often not. Standard Michigan homeowners policies commonly exclude sewer backup and groundwater unless you carry a specific endorsement. Before the next storm, it is worth reading our guide on whether insurance covers sewer backup in Michigan and checking your declarations page.

What to do about it

  1. Take preventative steps before the next heavy rain. Homes in this band have the highest documented exposure in the metro.
  2. Test your sump pump and add a battery backup, power fails in the same storms that flood. See what actually keeps a basement dry.
  3. Check for a backwater valve if your home predates the 1970s; sewer backup is the costliest version of basement flooding.
  4. Extend downspouts at least six feet from the foundation and keep gutters clear.
  5. Know what help is out there. Metro Detroit runs active flood-assistance and sewer-repair programs; see which are open right now.

Hiring in Huntington Woods?

We keep public-record profiles of metro Detroit basement waterproofing contractors, drawn from their own listings and Michigan licensing records. No ratings and no pay-to-play, just the record. Browse the contractor records →

Public records of contractors whose own listings say they serve or are based in Huntington Woods: Calculus Foundation Repair & Waterproofing · Michigan Basements · SAS Services.

See Huntington Woods on the full metro Detroit Basement Risk Index map →

Concerned about this score?

We connect Huntington Woods homeowners with one licensed, insured basement waterproofing contractor for a free, no-obligation assessment. Your information goes to one local pro, never to lead lists.

Request your free assessment →

See Huntington Woods on the interactive metro map →
Read the published methodology →
Browse all 116 communities ranked →

Nearby communities

Oak Park · 66Pleasant Ridge · 100Berkley · 83Ferndale · 85Royal Oak Township · 50

Homeowner guides

Does insurance cover sewer backup?What to do when your basement floodsWhat waterproofing costs in metro DetroitHow to choose a waterproofing contractorSump pump costs in MichiganBackwater valves: cost and who needs oneThe 2021 metro Detroit floodsWhat keeps a Michigan basement dry

Frequently asked questions

Where does Huntington Woods rank for basement-flood risk among nearby communities like Oak Park and Pleasant Ridge?

Huntington Woods scores 88 out of 100, ranking #7 of 116 metro Detroit communities (VERY HIGH risk). Among its five nearest neighbors it carries the second-highest risk: Oak Park scores 66 and Pleasant Ridge scores 100.

Are Huntington Woods's homes older than those in nearby Oak Park and Pleasant Ridge?

88% of Huntington Woods homes were built before 1960 (median year built 1952, with the largest share in the nineteen-fifties). In Oak Park, 61% predate 1960 (median year built 1958). Older housing means more basements plumbed before sump pumps, weeping tile, and backwater valves were standard.

Do combined sewers raise basement-backup risk in Huntington Woods more than in Pleasant Ridge?

Part of Huntington Woods sits on combined sewers or drains to a combined-overflow district, where a hard rain can push storm water and sewage up through a floor drain. On those blocks a backwater valve often matters more than any wall treatment, a different failure mode than a community on separated pipes faces.