Hurricane Season Home Prep: The Contractor's Checklist
Most hurricane damage isn't dramatic — it's water finding the weak point your home already had. This is the pre-season checklist storm-belt contractors run on their own houses, ordered by what fails first.
1. The roof — where most claims start
- Walk the perimeter with binoculars: lifted or missing shingles, cracked tiles, exposed nail heads
- Check flashing at chimneys, vents, and valleys — sealant cracks are pre-made leak points
- From the attic: daylight through the deck, water stains, damp insulation
- Roofs 15+ years old: get a professional inspection before season — our roof inspection checklist covers what a real inspection includes
2. Openings — windows, doors, garage door
The garage door is the largest and weakest opening on most homes; once it fails, wind pressurizes the house and can lift the roof from inside. If yours isn't wind-rated, a retrofit bracing kit is a fraction of the cost of what its failure causes. For glazing, verify shutters fit now — or price impact-rated windows, which in Florida can also reduce windstorm premiums.
3. Water paths — gutters, grading, trees
- Clear gutters and downspouts; extend discharge 4–6 ft from the foundation (see gutter guards if you're up there twice a year)
- Trim limbs overhanging the roof and remove dead trees — tree strikes are among the most severe wind claims
- Test the sump pump if you have one; add a battery backup — outages and heavy rain arrive together
- Check grading: soil should slope away from the foundation on all sides
4. The paperwork that decides your claim
- Video-walk your entire home and roof before season — dated proof of pre-storm condition defeats “pre-existing damage” denials
- Know your hurricane deductible: it's typically 2–10% of dwelling coverage, not a flat amount — on a $400k policy, a 5% deductible is $20,000 out of pocket
- Flood is never covered by homeowners policies — rising water requires separate flood insurance, with a 30-day waiting period
- Save your policy, agent contact, and the pre-season video off-site or in the cloud
If a storm does hit, our storm damage insurance guide and hurricane claim walkthrough cover the after side — and the water damage 24-hour playbook covers intrusion.
Do repairs in spring, not August. Once a storm is named, contractor schedules fill, material prices jump, and insurers can issue binding restrictions that pause new coverage and policy changes.
Frequently asked questions
When should I prepare my home for hurricane season?
Spring — well before the June 1 season start. Roof repairs, tree trimming, and shutter fitting all get harder and pricier once forecasts turn active, and insurers pause policy changes when a storm is named.
What part of the house fails first in a hurricane?
Statistically: roof coverings, then the garage door, then unprotected windows. A failed garage door pressurizes the home and multiplies roof damage — which is why wind-rating that one opening matters so much.
Is hurricane damage covered by homeowners insurance?
Wind damage generally is, subject to a percentage-based hurricane deductible (often 2–10% of dwelling coverage). Flood — rising water — is never covered by standard policies and requires separate flood insurance with a 30-day waiting period.