Hurricane Season Home Checklist for South Florida

Start with the roof — on foot, not from a screen

Wind finds the weakest fastener first. We walk every roof by hand because a drone photo cannot tell you that a tile sounds hollow underfoot or that a ridge cap lifts when you press it. Before the season peaks, the roof is where your inspection dollars do the most work.

• Loose, cracked, or slipped tiles and lifted shingle tabs
• Ridge and hip caps with failed mortar or missing fasteners
• Flashing at chimneys, skylights, and wall transitions
• Soft or spongy decking underfoot, which signals hidden rot
• Boots and seals around plumbing vents and roof penetrations

Openings: doors, windows, and the garage

Most catastrophic wind damage in Florida starts when the building envelope is breached and the house pressurizes from the inside. Garage doors are the single most common failure point on an older South Florida home.

• Garage door bracing or a rated door, with hardware intact and unrusted
• Shutters or impact glazing present for every opening, with all panels accounted for
• Shutter tracks, wing nuts, and anchors free of corrosion and actually usable
• Entry doors with working deadbolts and tight weatherstripping
• Soffit panels secured — wind-driven rain in the soffit is a classic attic-water source

Water has to go somewhere

• Gutters and downspouts clear, with discharge routed away from the slab
• Grade sloping away from the foundation on all four sides
• Yard drains and swales free of debris
• Trees trimmed back from the roof line and service drop
• Loose yard items with a plan for where they go before landfall

Wind mitigation is worth doing before the season, not after

A wind mitigation inspection documents roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections, roof geometry, secondary water resistance, and opening protection on the state OIR-B1-1802 form. Those credits reduce the wind portion of your premium, which is the largest slice of a South Florida policy.

Carriers will not backdate a discount to cover a storm that already happened, and inspector availability disappears the week a system enters the Gulf. Book it in a quiet week.

After the storm: document before you repair

If you take damage, photograph everything before a tarp goes on or a contractor touches it. Date-stamped photos, a written scope, and an independent inspection report carry far more weight with an adjuster than a repair invoice by itself.

Do make emergency repairs that prevent further damage — that is your duty under the policy — but keep the receipts and keep the evidence of the original condition.

• Photograph the roof, ceilings, walls, and every opening before any repair
• Keep damaged materials until the adjuster has seen them
• Save receipts for tarps, board-up, water extraction, and lodging
• Get an independent post-storm inspection report if the claim is contested

Frequently asked questions

When should I schedule a pre-storm inspection?

Early in the season, or any quiet week. Once a named system is in the forecast cone, every inspector and roofer in South Florida is booked out.

Do you walk the roof during hurricane season?

Yes. We hand-walk every roof we inspect, in any month, as long as conditions are safe and dry. We never substitute a drone flyover for a physical walk.

Can you inspect after a storm for an insurance claim?

Yes. We document damage with photos and a written report you can hand to your adjuster. Call 786-426-4680 and we will get you on the schedule.