West Park at a Glance
Houses from the 1950s
The median home was built in 1961, and 44 percent of the city's housing units went up in the 1950s. Original pipe is something we expect to meet.
One spine, many side streets
State Road 7, also US 441, carries the shops and City Hall. A call from a storefront or a quiet side street reaches the same desk, because emergency dispatch available around the clock does not sort callers by address.
Four neighborhoods, one city
Carver Ranches, Lake Forest, Miami Gardens and Utopia were unincorporated Broward until 2005. House histories can change from block to block.
Carver Ranches, Lake Forest, Miami Gardens and Utopia
West Park became Broward's 31st city on March 1, 2005, after voters approved incorporation 3,400 to 956 in the November 2, 2004 election. The city was assembled from four unincorporated neighborhoods: Carver Ranches, Lake Forest, Miami Gardens (Broward) and Utopia.
Those neighborhoods grew up under county rules, one subdivision at a time. Two houses on the same street can have different additions, different water heaters and different drain routes. We ask about past remodels before tracing a line, since a bathroom added decades ago can hide a tie-in that no plan shows.
Pembroke Park lies directly east and is mostly mobile homes, which is a different kind of call. Davie is farther north and west, with large rural lots.
A Median Build Year of 1961: What We Expect Behind the Walls
The Census Bureau's ACS counts 4,944 housing units in West Park. Of those, 2,186 went up in the 1950s, 1,132 in the 1960s and 905 in the 1970s. Houses from those decades were plumbed before PVC and PEX became standard.
The data gives age, not pipe material, so we confirm with a camera run rather than assume cast iron. If a house still has its original drain, a sewer line repair decision starts with what the camera shows: scale, offsets, root entry. Cleaning may be enough. Replacement is sometimes the honest answer.
Supply pipe is the other half. Repeated pinhole leaks, low pressure at one faucet or rust-colored water after the tap has sat all point toward repiping. One repair is a repair. A third in a year is a pattern.
| Housing era | Units in West Park | What we check first | Likely service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built in the 1950s | 2,186 (44 percent) | Original drain line and supply pipe | Sewer camera, repiping |
| Built in the 1960s | 1,132 (23 percent) | Drain scale, old shutoff valves, water heater age | Sewer line repair, valve replacement |
| Built in the 1970s | 905 (18 percent) | Water heater, fixture shutoffs, supply fittings | Water heater replacement, leak detection |
| Built 1980 and later | About 590 | Newer plastic lines, fixtures, tank age | Fixture repair, water heater service |
Along State Road 7: City Hall, McTyre Park and Mary Saunders Park
City Hall is at 1965 S State Road 7, which is also US 441 and the main commercial street. Shops, offices and restaurants along it run floor drains, restroom groups and backflow preventers. A grease backup on a Friday night is a different job from a house clog, and commercial plumbing is how we handle it.
The city's parks are public buildings with their own needs. A $3 million federal award announced in March 2023 backs a cultural facility and gym at McTyre Park, and Mary Saunders Park covers 4.43 acres. New restrooms, drinking fountains and irrigation tie-ins all need permits and backflow protection.
After Heavy Rain: Twin Lakes, Culverts and Low Yards
In January 2009 the South Florida Water Management District announced a $250,000 grant for culvert connections between the Twin Lakes Water Control District and a new drainage system at the southeast corner of Hallandale Beach Boulevard and US 441. The goal was to ease local flooding in heavy rain.
If a yard holds water for days, a toilet gurgles during a storm or a floor drain backs up, the sewer lateral may be taking on water. We cannot tell which from the phone. The city's pages we read do not say who owns the sewer main on your street, so check your bill and ask the city.
The county's 2013 notice placed West Park in water service area 3A and 3B/C, supplied by the City of Hollywood from the Biscayne Aquifer and softened with lime. A precautionary boil notice ran for that area from June 12 to 15, 2013. No hardness number is published in the reports we could read.
June to November: A Hurricane-Season Routine for an Older House
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the busiest weeks run from mid-August into mid-October, per the Florida Division of Emergency Management. A house with 60-year-old shutoff valves should be tested before the cone shows up on the news.
- Turn the main shutoff closed and open again. Old gate valves can seize or leak at the stem.
- Strap a tank water heater to the wall studs, as PNNL building guidance suggests.
- Find your sewer cleanout and keep it clear of mulch and planters.
- Note the meter reading before landfall, so you can tell later whether water kept running.
Permits Through CAP Government and Broward ePermits
West Park's building permits and inspections are handled for the city by CAP Government, Inc. Applications go through the Broward County ePermits portal. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and inspections requested by 3:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next day.
Water heater replacement is permitted work in Broward, so expect the replacement data form and a manufacturer's spec sheet. The city page we read does not list plumbing permits on their own, so ask the office whether your job needs one. Call (954) 697-4920 if you want to talk through what the permit desk will ask about a water heater replacement.
Before We Arrive: Burst Pipe or Active Leak in West Park
Shut the main before you hunt for the leak
In a house from the 1950s or 1960s the shutoff may be an older gate valve near the front wall or by the water heater. Turn it gently and all the way. If it will not move, do not force it, and tell us.
Kill the breaker for wet rooms
Switch off the breaker for any room with water on the floor, and for the water heater if it is leaking. Keep out of standing water near outlets and the panel.
Clear the floor and the cabinet
Move rugs, boxes and anything stored under the sink or beside the heater. Empty the cabinet so we can see the supply line and shutoff.
Call the 24/7 line and give us the year
Call (954) 697-4920 and tell us the house's age, where the water is and whether the shutoff worked. If you have renovated, mention that too.
Local Map: West Park Service Area
Frequently Asked Questions: West Park
Do you cover every ZIP code in West Park?
Yes, both 33023 and 33021. ZIP 33023 covers about 99 percent of the city, including City Hall at 1965 S State Road 7. ZIP 33021 touches only a thin slice. ZIP 33023 also serves Pembroke Park and parts of Hollywood, Miramar and Pembroke Pines, so a mailing address that says Hollywood can still be inside West Park. Give us the street address if you are near a border.
Is emergency service available in West Park?
Yes, on nights, weekends and holidays. A dispatcher answers the 24/7 line, and the crew leaves from Dania Beach, about 5.5 miles northeast. State Road 7 traffic and storms affect the trip, so you get an estimate when we pick up, not a set arrival time. Call (954) 697-4920 and tell us what is leaking.
My house was built in the 1950s. Should I repipe?
Not automatically. Age alone does not decide it. We look at how many leaks you have had, the pipe material, water pressure and any rust in the water. One leak may be a spot repair, but repeated leaks suggest the pipe is wearing out.
Who do I call for a plumbing permit in West Park?
Building permits are handled for the city by CAP Government, Inc., and applications go through Broward County ePermits. The building office is at 1965 S State Road 7. Confirm with that office if your job needs a permit.
Is the sewer main on my street owned by the city?
We could not confirm that from the city's pages, so we will not guess. Your water and sewer bill shows who charges you, and the city can say who maintains the main. We repair the line on your property.
Code reference: plumbing work in Florida falls under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing (8th Edition, 2023), which is based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Ask the Dania Beach Building Division whether your job needs a permit.