Eau Claire County, Wisconsin · Eau Claire
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Pipes freeze in Eau Claire County on about 79 nights a year, mostly November to April. Older homes, 30% of the stock here, are most at risk.
Basements flood here mostly in June. Eau Claire County averages 6.7 days a year with an inch of rain or more.
Sewage backups in Eau Claire County spike on heavy-rain days, about 6.7 a year, when sewer mains fill up and water finds the lowest drain.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 93 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
12% of occupied homes in Eau Claire County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Wisconsin county median of 32.9%.
About 9 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
With 46,936 homes and around 107,116 residents, Eau Claire County is 638 square miles of western Wisconsin. Besides Eau Claire, the county seat, the biggest communities are Altoona, Seymour and Fall Creek. Half the homes here were built before 1978, half after.
50/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Eau Claire County ranks 40 of 72 Wisconsin counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Eau Claire County ranks highest compared with other Wisconsin counties.
Pipe-freeze risk in Eau Claire County sits near the middle of the state. From 2015–2024 it averaged 79 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 158 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 27th of 72 counties.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -33°F, and in the stretch ending March 2015 the county went 26 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
The freeze season here runs November to April, with January the coldest. If you travel then, leave the thermostat at 55°F or above and open sink cabinets on outside walls.
Freezing nights typically start around Oct 13 and end around May 4.
Rainfall is about average for Wisconsin. The county gets about 35.8 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with 6.7 days of an inch or more (32nd of 72). Those downpours cluster in May, June and August, when sump pumps and gutters are tested hardest. The wettest day on record brought 3.58 inches on September 22, 2016. The worst three-day stretch dropped 4.28 inches, ending September 22, 2016, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Freeze-thaw days, below freezing overnight and above it by afternoon, come about 93 times a year here. They're the main driver of ice dams and of water working its way through foundation cracks in late winter.
Housing
Wisconsin's 72 counties range widely in housing age; Eau Claire ranks 44th, with 53% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 30% of homes are pre-1960 and 23% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
About 24% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Renters occupy 39% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Eau Claire County averages 9 warm, muggy nights a year (lows of 65°F or more) and gets the most rain in August. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectMain heating fuel in Eau Claire County's occupied homes: 57% utility gas, 27% electric, 10% propane and 3% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Eau Claire County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Chippewa, Clark and Dunn get more pipe-freeze nights than Eau Claire. Pepin County has the oldest housing nearby, with 64% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Eau Claire | Wisconsin median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 30% | 31% | 46 of 72 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 53% | 54% | 44 of 72 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 23% | 21% | 26 of 72 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 2.6% | 4.8% | 56 of 72 |
| Vacant homes | 4.7% | 12% | 63 of 72 |
| Wood or propane heat | 12% | 33% | 57 of 72 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 79/yr | 73/yr | 27 of 72 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.7/yr | 6.3/yr | 32 of 72 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 93/yr | 94/yr | 38 of 72 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 9/yr | 11/yr | 43 of 72 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Wisconsin county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Eau Claire County: freezing from November to April, heavy rain in May, June and August.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology