What To Do if Your Home is Damaged During a Natural Disaster

Tornados, forest fires, hurricanes, ice storms. Often, when severe weather happens, it happens quickly and, unfortunately, can damage your home.

So what do you do when Mother Nature leaves you with unexpected repair needs?

Here are some tips to guide you toward a quick recovery:

Assess the Damage

When it’s safe to do so, take time to evaluate all areas of your home. Walk the perimeter, check windows, doors, facade (siding, bricks, stone), and, if you can, get a visual of your roof. Then, check the interior, room by room. 

Document everything! Take pictures, videos, and detailed notes of everything as you may need them for an insurance claim.

File a Claim 

With natural disasters, it’s likely that many homeowners in your area are dealing with similar issues. Even if you don’t know the full extent of the damage, you may want to contact your insurance provider to let them know your home is damaged. They will send an adjuster to provide a full damage assessment.

Make Stop-Gap Repairs

If there are minor repairs that can be made to mitigate damage, you should make them immediately. Insurance adjusters will look to see that you’ve done so.

If there are holes, seal them off. Soaked carpets? Remove them to prevent mold.

Keep your receipts for work completed so that you can be reimbursed.

Get an Itemized Estimate

Once you have a full list of needed repairs, you’ll want to get an estimate from a contractor.

Make sure that:

• The estimate is from a licensed and insured contractor with references
• The list is itemized and comprehensive 
• The contractor is available to do the work within a reasonable timeframe. Getting an estimate from a contractor who is unavailable to do the work is not very useful if you want to get back to normal quickly!
• At PunchList, we have licensed and vetted local contractors for all types of home repairs

(If you need an estimate quickly, we’re here to help.)

Always Be Safe!

While your home and belongings are important, nothing is as valuable as your health and the safety of your family. Never undertake repairs or home evaluations that put you or your loves ones at risk. When in doubt, contact a professional for assistance.