First Steps To Repairing Your Home After Weather Damage Occurs

After a damaging storm occurs, most people just want to get back to normal life. However, homeowners must often take many steps before their household can return to its former state. Assessing the damage, contacting the insurance agency, and choosing the right contractor can help you get back to the way things used to be.

Document the Event

Before (or immediately after) contacting your insurance company, take pictures of the damage to your home. Walk around the outside and the inside, looking for problems like broken windows, water stains, mold, warped walls, foundation damage, and other structural issues. Note whether or not your home has power, water, and gas services.

Make lists of observable damage, or take an inventory of missing items, if it's appropriate. If you have a smartphone, use it to take a video of your house as you walk around the perimeter and then the inside. You can use this documentation to start your claim with your insurance company. You may even need this information later on when you're working with your contractor.

Contact Your Insurance Agent

After assessing the damage, contact your insurance agent to start a claim. When you're talking to your insurance agent, ask a lot of questions about hiring a contractor to repair your home so that you're clear on their policies. Will the insurance company pay the contractor directly? Will you collect money from the company and then use that money to pay the contractor? Or will you be required to pay the contractor out of pocket and then collect a reimbursement later?

Different insurance companies have different requirements. If you have access to your insurance policy, take a look at it as you're talking to your insurance agent so that your agent can walk you through the fine details as you talk.

Evaluate Your Property

If the storm was serious enough and your property has flooded, your home may be unsafe for you to live in. Some homeowners evaluate their own property, while others work with a contractor or home inspector. It's best to work with an expert since you could put yourself in danger just by inspecting your property. However, if you are unable to reach a contractor (reaching anyone can be difficult after a disaster strikes) and you feel you must perform your own inspection, then doing your evaluation safely is critical.

Do not touch floodwaters with your bare skin. Wear tall rubber boots, rubber gloves, and eye protection. Pay attention to smells, and avoid any areas that smell like gas. Avoid any standing water until you're certain that it's not electrically charged.

When evaluating your property, look for problems like:

• Large cracks in the foundation
  
• Bowing walls
  
• Groaning noises in the attic
  
• Sagging ceilings
  

These signs are indications of structural damage and problems that need to be addressed before the house can be inhabited again.

If you're not sure if your house is inhabitable, find somewhere safe to stay until you're able to return to your house. It could be a while, as nearly everything takes longer after a storm has done damage to an area. Remember, if your home is damaged, other buildings and roads are likely to be damaged as well. This can prevent supplies from reaching your town, and may also slow down communication that could lead you to get help.

Find a Contractor

Finding a contractor can be especially stressful when you're operating out of a hotel room or out of a home with limited functionality. However, the process of finding a contractor remains more or less the same, no matter what the circumstances.

Check the contractor's reputation either through online sources or by calling the Better Business Bureau. Interview each potential contractor by meeting with them at your house and then asking each contractor the same questions to make it easier to compare one contractor to another. Have a list of prepared questions to ask each contractor when you meet with them.

 Some potential questions to ask include:

• What would you do to fix this problem?
  
• How soon can you start?
  
• How long will this project take?
  
• What are the payment terms?
  
• Do you work with insurance companies?
  
• Have you done work like this before?
  
• Do you have references that I could check?
  

Insist on getting a detailed quote from each contractor. Never hire a contractor who has not provided a written quote for services. Getting a written quote is important for ensuring that the job will cost what you expect it to cost. Getting a written quote is also important for comparing one contractor to another.

For more information about hiring a contractor or getting your home repaired after a storm, contact Colorado Western Construction. We know how stressful it can be after a storm passes, and we're ready to answer any questions that you might have.