Northville Water Damage Restoration

About 80 percent of occupied Northville homes are owner-occupied: 2,104 owner households and 516 renter households.

The median Northville home was built in 1968.

The largest age group of Northville homes is the oldest. 638 of 2,767 housing units (23 percent) went up in 1939 or earlier, so a large share of the stock carries original systems.

About 1,894 of 2,767 Northville housing units (68 percent) were built before 1980. Asbestos and lead paint were common in that era.

Single-family detached houses are 1,849 of Northville's 2,767 housing units (67 percent). Another 371 are attached houses such as townhomes.

Northville has 178 housing units in buildings of 50 or more units (6 percent of the stock).

The median owner-occupied home in Northville is worth about $465,400, and median gross rent is $1,623 a month.

The 2019 Northville historic district study counts 425 resources in the district. 251 (60 percent) are contributing, including 248 buildings with both homes and downtown commercial buildings.

The City of Northville owns and runs its own water and sewer systems through its Public Works Department. It buys drinking water from the Great Lakes Water Authority.

Northville sanitary sewage flows into a Wayne County transmission line and on to the Detroit Wastewater Treatment Plant.

After a backup call, a Public Works crew checks whether the blockage is in the city main or the private lateral. The city cleans or repairs only the main. If the main is clear, the owner must hire a plumber.

The city says most Northville sewer backups come from plumbing inside the home or from the private line to the street, and only rarely from the public sewer.

The city warns that many homeowner policies exclude sewage backup and that a cleanout, a backflow valve on the lowest drain and a sump-pump rider are the usual protections.

Northville records between 10 and 20 water main breaks each year, and most happen when temperatures are below freezing.

In June 2026 Northville charges $12.60 per 1,000 gallons for water and $7.58 per 1,000 gallons for sewer. Customers are billed every two months.

Northville street storm sewers carry water to the Randolph drain, the Johnson Creek drain and the Middle Rouge River.

Northville storm sewer inlets lead to 12-inch pipes. After heavy January 2017 rain the city reported higher than normal flow into them.

Utility gas heats 2,340 of Northville's 2,620 occupied homes (89 percent). Electricity heats 218 homes.

On September 14, 2008 NOAA logged a flood at Northville with $350,000 in property damage. The regional episode brought 3 to 6 inches of rain from September 12 to 14, with some basement flooding.

The same September 2008 episode brought widespread 3 to 6 inch rain totals across southeast Michigan, mostly minor flooding with road closures and basement flooding.

On June 4, 2010 a 56 knot (about 64 mph) thunderstorm wind gust brought widespread tree damage to the city of Northville and uprooted a large tree onto a house. NOAA lists $30,000 in damage.

The same June 4, 2010 storm dropped 2-inch hail on Northville that broke windows.

On September 11, 2013 a 56 knot (about 64 mph) thunderstorm wind uprooted numerous trees and dropped large limbs at Northville. A second report two minutes later had power lines down.

On July 1, 2014 at 2:14 am a spotter estimated a 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust at Northville.

On July 20, 2023 NOAA logged 1-inch hail at Northville.

In April 1925 a fire destroyed much of the north side of East Main Street in downtown Northville, including its first movie theater. Rebuilt buildings include the theater of 1926 and the Brader Building of 1928.

In 1899 a fire destroyed much of the Globe Furniture Company factory in Northville. The foundry and shipping building survived, and the company then sold its new foundry buildings.

Northville's fire chief said water ran down the road and into houses during the January 2024 break, and one house had a basement completely full of water.

One Northville basement held six feet of water in the January 2024 main break. Rain and melting snow made the flooding worse.

A Northville sewer or storm-system backup claim must be filed in writing with the City Clerk within 45 days after discovery. The notice goes to 215 W. Main Street.

Northville pays at most the actual cash value of damaged items on a backup claim. The claim needs cleaning and plumbing receipts and proof of the age of each item.

Builders in Northville need a soil erosion permit and must set a screened cover over the storm sewer inlet during construction. The permit holder removes the screen once the lawn is in.

Northville Community Development runs an inspection hotline at 248-305-2737. Requests must come in before 3:30 pm.

Contractors and homeowners in Northville can book building, electrical, plumbing and heating inspections in an online portal. A next-day inspection must be booked by 3:30 p.m.

Northville requires a $1,500 performance bond for each new single-family dwelling. The city can keep the bond if work stops for more than six months or no final inspection is called.

A homeowner who pulls a Northville demolition permit must show a copy of the homeowner's insurance policy when the work stays on the owner's property and out of the right-of-way.

Northville adopted its Historic Preservation Ordinance in 1974, after a 1972 survey. A second, more detailed survey followed in 2018.

For a sewer backup, Northville tells residents to call Public Works at 248-449-9930 on weekdays from 8 am to 3:30 pm. At other times they call Northville Community Dispatch on its non-emergency line, 248-349-1234.