Sterling Heights Water Damage Restoration

About 76 percent of occupied homes in Sterling Heights are owner-occupied (39,206 of 51,736). Renters occupy 12,530 homes.

The 1970s are the largest building decade in Sterling Heights, with 15,392 units, about 29 percent of all housing. The 1960s add 11,121 units.

Sterling Heights has 8,195 units from the 1980s and 6,090 from the 1990s.

Only 1,021 housing units in Sterling Heights were built before 1950: 691 from the 1940s and 330 from 1939 or earlier.

Single-family detached houses make up 35,837 of 53,607 housing units in Sterling Heights. Another 4,799 are attached single-family units such as townhouses.

Sterling Heights has 4,367 units in 5-to-9-unit buildings and 2,745 units in buildings of 50 or more, so apartment fires and shared-wall water losses are part of the city housing mix.

The median home value in Sterling Heights is $274,300. Median gross rent is $1,292.

Sterling Heights has 1,548 mobile homes.

Sterling Heights posts live river gauges for the Clinton River at Riverland Drive and for the Plumbrook Drain at Ryan Road on its Flood Services page.

Flood maps are kept at the Sterling Heights Public Library and the Office of Engineering. Residents can call Engineering at 586-446-2720 to check whether a lot is in a mapped floodplain.

Engineering can supply copies of elevation certificates for buildings in the Sterling Heights floodplain, and past flood problems for the area.

A 2023-2024 Macomb County project cleaned the Vokes Relief Drain along Van Dyke between 18 1/2 and 19 Mile roads. Crews removed about five decades of hardened sediment from 4,000 linear feet of large pipe.

The Vokes Relief Drain project cost about $500,000, split among Macomb County, Sterling Heights and the drain district. Crews also cleaned about 3,500 feet of narrower pipe.

Macomb County Public Works said it may run a flow study on a weir east of Van Dyke on the Vokes Relief Drain to cut flooding further.

Flood insurance: Sterling Heights joins the National Flood Insurance Program and is a Class 7 community, so policyholders get a 15 percent premium discount. Coverage starts after a 30-day wait.

The city flood safety guide says that if a house is about to flood, residents should turn off power at the service box and report downed lines to DTE or city emergency management.

Sterling Heights Public Works answers emergency flooding calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It checks known sanitary sewer and lift station trouble spots for surcharging in heavy rain.

Sterling Heights lists DTE (800-477-4747) as the electric company and Consumers Energy (800-477-5050) as the natural gas company.

Streetlight outages in Sterling Heights are reported to DTE 24/7 online, or to the Citizens Contact Center at 586-446-2489 in business hours.

On April 6, 2010 NOAA recorded 2.25-inch hail in Sterling Heights.

On July 19, 2013 a 50-knot thunderstorm wind blew down numerous large tree branches in Sterling Heights.

On June 18, 2014 a 50-knot thunderstorm wind brought down power lines in Sterling Heights, with $2,000 in property damage recorded.

On July 1, 2014 a 56-knot thunderstorm wind blew down three large trees in Sterling Heights. One landed on a vehicle.

On May 28, 2016 a thunderstorm snapped and uprooted trees and dropped large limbs in Sterling Heights.

Sterling Heights recorded 11.0 inches of snow in the December 2016 storm.

In summer 2024 residents told Sterling Heights City Council about backyard flooding, especially near the Clinton River. The city said most cases came from extreme rain, and a few needed private storm drains cleared.

On August 12-13, 2019 flooding closed roads in Sterling Heights, including one near Schoenherr and Plum Brook. A golf course owner said it was the same week as flooding five years earlier.

Fox 2 reported that high water around bridges made them unsafe in Sterling Heights after the August 2019 rain.

Any development in the 100-year floodplain in Sterling Heights (filling, excavation and fences too) needs a city permit and a state environmental permit, and sometimes a FEMA permit.

If repairs to a Sterling Heights building cost over 50 percent of its market value (land excluded), from any cause, the whole building must meet current floodplain standards.

Sterling Heights allows backyard fire pits only in metal or ceramic containers with covers, legs and a spark arrestor, at least 15 feet from any structure, and only between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.

In Sterling Heights no leaves, clippings or brush can be burned at any time, and only dry seasoned firewood is allowed in fire pits.

Sterling Heights lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, the 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code, the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code and the 2024 International Fire Code with amendments.

Sterling Heights Office of Building is at 40555 Utica Road. The Macomb County Health Department handles septic and health questions.

Sterling Heights publishes permit applications for building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fence and fire alarm work, and a contractor registration application and a drain-waste-vent testing certification.

Sterling Heights Code Enforcement takes reports at 586-446-2360. Owners who do not fix property maintenance violations go to a public hearing before the Board of Ordinance Appeals.

After hours, Sterling Heights residents call 586-469-5151 and press 1 to reach the Macomb County 24/7 dispatcher, who contacts on-call DPW staff. The Public Works office at 7200 18 Mile Road is 586-446-2440.

Sterling Heights Fire non-emergency dispatch is 586-469-5502. Fire Prevention is 586-446-2970.

Sterling Heights runs an informational radio station, AM 1700, with road closures, severe weather and city news.

The Citizens Contact Center for Sterling Heights city hall at 40555 Utica Road is 586-446-2489.