How much does it cost recover from storm damage?

Storms can wreak havoc on homes, causing many different types of damage - wind, fire, water, ice, and more. This damage can be minor, or it can be so severe that you aren’t able to inhabit your home until it’s repaired. If bad weather comes and your home shows signs of storm damage, first make sure that you and everyone in the house are safe. Leave the house if it isn’t safe inside and you can safely move outdoors. You will need to call a storm damage recovery service right away to inspect your home and repair the damage.

Types of damage

The table below shows average prices homeowners pay when they need storm damage recovery services. The prices are generally for mild to moderate damage levels, and the procedures in the solutions column are standard, must-have components of the recovery packages offered for each type of damage.

Extent of damage

Storm damage recovery costs are rarely inexpensive, but severe damages can cost greatly. If your home has severe storm damage of any type, you could pay as much as $10,000-$75,000 for recovery. The costs can rise this high because much of the time they include rebuilding and replacing damaged kitchens, roofs, and other entire structures of the home. For example, roof collapses resulting in extensive recovery needs have average insurance claims of $20,000-$30,000.

Insurance

Homeowners insurance sometimes covers minor disasters like smashing objects creating leaks, broken pipes, accidental fires, etc. Floods are not usually covered; you need separate flood and other natural disaster insurance to cover associated costs. Contact your insurance provider to clarify what your basic homeowner’s insurance covers, and what you need separate policies for.

Fallen trees may be covered by insurance, depending on the condition the tree was in prior to falling. If the insurance company finds that the tree was rotting or improperly maintained, and thus already at risk of falling, the fall won’t be covered. Tree removals cost $150-$1,500 on average.

Enhancement and improvement costs

Waterproofing

Waterproofing your home can help prevent future damages resulting from floods and other water incidents. Basement waterproofing typically costs $5,000. Roof underlayment ³ waterproofing costs $400-$800. Adding waterproof material to exterior walls costs $1,800.

Lightning protection

Installing lightning rods can protect your home from being struck by lightning, preventing fire damage. Lightning rods are usually put on roofs, and will draw lightning toward themselves instead of your home. The installation of lightning rods costs $2,500 on average.

Storm doors ⁴ and windows

Storm doors ⁴ act as a barrier between the exterior door and the inside of your home, protecting your home from the elements, insects, and pests, and allowing for better airflow. For this example, we’ll look at the cost of installing a standard 36-inch storm door, which averages $250-$400. Installing a storm window costs an average of $275.

Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet

¹ Drywall: Type of plasterboard, commonly used to build walls and ceilings, composed of gypsum that is layered between sheets of heavy paper

² Shingles: A smooth, uniform, flat piece of construction material, available in a wide variety of materials and laid in a series of overlapping rows, used to cover the outside of roofs or walls to protect against weather damage and leaks.

⁴ Storm doors: An additional door, installed outside an exterior access door, that provides insulation and damage protection during inclement weather