How to Deal with Roof and Siding Damage from Hurricanes

We are fast approaching the hurricane season the US. As you know, storms and hurricanes can impact homes situated along the Gulf coast, as well as the tip and east cost of Florida, coastal Georgia, South and North Carolinas, and other places along the east coast.

In fact, major hurricanes can result in widespread devastation and leave billions of dollars in damage to homes’ exteriors including roofs and siding in the hurricane prone areas like Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and other coastal states.

For example, hurricanes Harvey and Irma left an estimated $150 billion in damages behind in Houston, and throughout the state of Texas, Florida, Georgia, and elsewhere.

If you’re one of hundreds of thousands of property owners dealing with the aftermath of hurricane damage to your home’s roof, siding, and windows, then this guide will provide answers to some of the most pressing questions and concerns.

Beware of Home Improvement Construction and Insurance Scams

A word of warning is in order at the start. When hurricanes produce widespread damage, scammers known as storm chasers flock to the devastated areas. Many of the scams are construction scams and insurance scams. Take these precautions against scams:

• Don’t give anyone cash upfront for them to buy materials to secure or repair your home
• Don’t buy insurance from anyone claiming to have a policy to sell you that will cover damage already done to your home
• Don’t allow anyone into your home unless they have proper identification (not just a FEMA shirt or shirt with an insurance company name on it) and a clear reason to be there – and even then, you’re not obligated to let anyone into your home

There are charity, food stamp, and voucher scams, flood insurance scams, and many others. If you suspect fraud or attempted fraud, call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866.720.5721 or send an email to disaster@leo.gov. All contacts are kept confidential.

Immediate Steps to Take After Hurricane Damage

Wind and water are devastating forces of nature when unleashed during storms like hurricane Harvey and hurricane Irma in the US mainland and hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

From a practical standpoint, here are steps to take in the immediate aftermath of hurricane:

• Take pictures of the exterior and interior damage done to your home including the roofing, siding, windows, outdoor structures like fences and decks, flooring, cabinets, walls, and household goods
• Cover damaged areas of your roof with tarps that extend up and over the ridge of the roof, and secure them to stay in place
• Board up broken windows or cover them with thick, secure plastic
• If the weather is dry, open doors and windows to ventilate, air out and help dry the home
• Remove wet carpet, furniture, drywall, and household goods from your home as quickly as possible to help prevent the growth of microbes such as mold and mildew

The Red Cross has a checklist of other precautions homeowners should take when returning to storm-damaged homes.

Insurance and Financial Steps in Hurricane Damage Recovery

Repairing your home after a hurricane takes time and lots of patience. These steps can expedite the process and save you from further problems.

• File insurance claims immediately for your home, business, and vehicle, and make sure the damage is documented with pictures
• Continue to pay any mortgage or home loan you have
• Continue to make credit card payments, and ask your bank to waive late fees accrued in the aftermath of the storm (as many banks are doing)

Hurricanes like Irma and Harvey occurred during a period when federal income taxes for those who have already filed an extension were due, and when the September quarterly payments were due. The IRS has then extended the deadline for those pending tax filings until January of next year (roughly 3 months additional extension) without penalty.

Extensions for business taxes such as federal excise tax and payroll taxes have been implemented too. To qualify, you must live in one of the declared disaster areas or have your taxes prepared by someone in a disaster area.

Full details on the current IRS hurricane and disaster tax relief programs can be found here.

The IRS claims that additional relief initiatives for the latest disasters are being planned, but the programs may not have been announced yet. Check the IRS site for details as they are made available.

How to Choose a Contractor After a Hurricane

When your insurance company has approved your claim and it’s time to find a contractor, these tips will help:

Don’t work with contractors that come to your door, at least without doing your due diligence, which is outlined here.

The problem is that scam artists, inexperienced contractors and those with no building experience come in droves to storm-damaged areas looking to get a share of the enormous and lucrative reconstruction market. Instead:

• Get estimates from at least three contractors
• Ask questions about the experience of the people that will be working on your home, a necessity because many well-established contracting companies are expanding their crew to handle the influx of business, and not everyone they’re hiring is qualified.
• Be sure the contractor is licensed, insured, and bonded. In Texas, roofing and siding contractors are not required to be licensed by the state. Roofers can get professional licensing through the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, and its list of contractors can be searched here. Electricians in Texas must be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and an electrician’s license can be verified here.
• In Florida, general contractors, roofing and siding contractors, plumbers and electricians must be licensed by the state’s Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Licenses can be verified with a search here.

A full list of detailed questions and answers you should expect is found in our article on the Most Important Questions to Ask a Roofing Contractor Before Signing a Contract. Much of the information applies to any contractor.

Any payments you make to a contractor should be by check or credit card, never by cash. A deposit might be required to cover materials cost.

Do not pay in full upfront, even if the contractor offers you a discount for doing so. Even if the request for payment isn’t a scam, you should still hold final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied that is completed properly.

Water Damage Restoration and Cost

Here’s an outline of steps to water damage restoration:

1. The property is inspected to assess the damage
2. Damage is classified

• Class 1 – Light damage with little absorption
• Class 2 – Damage primarily to floors with partial wall damage
• Class 3 – Complete saturation of the flooring, walls, cabinets, etc.

3. The type of water causing the damage is assessed

• Category 1 – Clean water from rain and flooding
• Category 2 – Grey water that might contain mild pollutants
• Category 3 – Black water polluted with sewage and other serious contaminants

The worse the condition of the water, the more extensive and costlier the water damage restoration must be.

4. Remaining water is removed with pumps
5. Non-salvageable material is removed
6. Salvageable home framing and other material is dried with vacuums, fans and dehumidifiers and chemically cleaned to kill mold, mildew, and other bacteria

The average cost of water damage restoration is $15-$30 per square foot. Your cost will depend on the quality of the materials replaced and the extent of the work based on the specifics of the restoration scope.

You will work with your insurance company adjuster, if you’ve had a claim approved, to determine the value of the materials damaged.

Most insurance companies pay replacement value on what was damaged. You’ll have to pay for upgrades.

For example, if the insurance company offers you $5,500 for vinyl flooring and carpeting that was damaged but you want to replace it will hardwood flooring at $8,000, you’ll have to pay the additional $2,500 out of pocket.

Cost of Roofing and Siding Repairs After a Hurricane

It’s easier to replace exterior materials than interior materials because there isn’t typically the same level of water saturation and damage.

Some of the roof decking and home sheathing might need to be repaired or replaced.

All material that is obviously damaged should be removed to allow closer inspection on the remaining roofing and siding material.

If there is minor damage to the roofing and siding, then replacement materials might be integrated into the existing roof or exterior walls.

However, when about 30% to 45% of the material is damaged, it becomes more cost-effective to remove it all and replace it.

This is because siding and roofing repair cost (https://www.roofingcalc.com/roof-repair-cost/) – fitting new material into an existing roof or home exterior – is much more labor intensive/time consuming. It’s faster to tear off the old and re-roof and re-side the house.

As with the interior, your insurance company will give you an allowance for roofing and siding repair after a hurricane. You can spend the money as you wish by repairing, replacing, or upgrading your roof and siding materials.

Siding

• Average siding repair costs: $12-$20 per sq. ft. when replacing just the damaged siding
• Average siding replacement costs: $7.50-$14.50 per sq. ft. when replacing all the siding

Roofing

• Average roofing repair costs: $10-$15 per sq. ft. when replacing just the damaged roofing material
• Average roofing replacement costs: $3.50-$6.00 per sq. ft. when completely replacing all the roofing materials

If you believe that price gouging is occurring as you get home repair estimates after a hurricane, call the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866.720.5721 to report it.