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After the storm- Lessons learned

So many people in our community had damage to their home after Hurricanes Ian, Idalia, Debby and Helene.. They were then victimized by people taking advantage of them with home repairs. Here are some tips to help you if you have damage to your home.

Take pictures of the damage. If you have someone come to look at your damage immediately, pictures before, during and after repairs will be needed.

Be wary of anyone who knocks on your door wanting to help. One of the biggest scams after Ian was homeowners gave deposits to people who came to town, took deposits and left, never doing any of the work.

Do not sign anything until verified. It is a red flag if you are pressured into signing a contract. Some tactics include a company tells you they need a deposit to get you on a waiting list or will offer a discount because you are a hurricane victim.

Meet the licensed contractor. Thieves are finding every trick. Recently we had someone who wore a company’s shirt, made up fake contracts and took deposits. Another company hired local trustworthy people to sell contracts of services then left town never completing the work. Make sure you are meeting the contractor.

Review the contract. The best way to review the contract would be with an attorney. Florida laws have mandatory provisions that must be in contracts. License number should be on the contract, and match the name on the contract and the name the license number is listed as with Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations (myfloridalicense.com).

Get three quotes. Be wary of any quotes that are extremely low.

Deposits. Florida Law 489.126 states if a company accepts more than a 10% deposit, they must file for a permit within 30 days and start work within 90 days. After Ian, building departments opened immediately so contractors could file permits. Check to ensure a permit is filed.

Check resources on a company. You can check with your local building department online to see how many open permits a company has, and you can also ask for references. You can check with companies and subs they have worked with.

Be patient. Remember most of the valuable hard working construction companies that are local have gone through this storm too. Jobs will be triaged. Waiting for a local contractor can help you, especially if you have issues later on.

Hire a licensed contractor. Many homeowners who didn’t hire a licensed contractor to do the work had costlier steps afterwards to have the work done again, and built to code. Home closings were pushed back and insurance wouldn’t pay or renew without permits. This is a Florida law that protects to make sure your home is built to the most recent Florida Building Code. It isn’t about having your home put back together- it’s about having it put back together and be able to hopefully handle another storm.

The onus is on the homeowner to do the due diligence. The Charlotte DeSoto Building Department is here to help you through the process to understand what type of company you will need for repairs. The CDBIA can help you vet contractors and even recommend vetted construction professionals. Give us a call at 941-625-0804 or visit www.cdbia.com for more information and links to help you through this process.