How do I tell if a storm damaged my house's structure?

You usually cannot tell whether a storm damaged your house's structure from a quick walk-around, and you should not try to settle it by going into a room that looks unsound. Look from a safe distance for the warning signs below, keep out of anything that could fall, and have a licensed contractor assess the house before you commit to repairs or move back in.

Before you look: when not to go in

Ready.gov says not to enter your damaged home if:

• You smell gas.^[1]
• Floodwaters remain around the building.^[1]
• Authorities have not declared it safe to enter.^[1]

Outside, stay clear of anything that could be live. Dominion Energy's advice is: "Don't touch or go near a fallen wire, even if it's not sparking or humming."^[8] It adds: "Don't touch anything that's touching the wire, such as a car or tree limb".^[8] Inside, Ready.gov warns: "Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water."^[9]

What structural damage looks like

Structural damage is damage to the parts that hold the house up and together: the foundation, the framing, the roof structure and the connections between them. Virginia's building code gives the test for a house that is no longer safe to live in. An unsafe structure is one that is "so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe, or of such faulty construction or unstable foundation that partial or complete collapse is likely".^[2]

You cannot measure that from the yard, but certain signs mean you should stop and get it looked at before anyone goes back in:

• A roof that sags or a ridge line that dips, especially where a tree or heavy limb is resting on it.
• Walls that lean, bow or have shifted away from the foundation, or a porch, deck or chimney pulling away from the house.
• New cracks in foundation walls, brick or siding, particularly long diagonal cracks running from the corners of windows and doors.
• Doors and windows that suddenly jam, or gaps that have opened where walls meet floors and ceilings.
• Floors that slope, feel springy or have dropped compared with before the storm.
• Ceilings that bulge or stain, which can mean water is sitting on something that is no longer holding it.

None of these is a diagnosis by itself. A cracked ceiling can be cosmetic, and a settling crack may be years old. The point is that you cannot tell which is which without opening up and looking at the framing and the connections, and that is a trained person's job.

What to do while you wait

Photograph everything first. Virginia's Bureau of Insurance advises: "If you have to make temporary repairs, you need to take pictures of the damaged property before making any temporary repairs, and keep receipts of what you’ve spent."^[5] It also says: "Most insurance companies will want to see the damage before final repairs are made."^[5] Its advice is that "Unless the insurance company has advised you in writing to go ahead and make final repairs, you should wait".^[5]

Temporary protection is still expected. The Bureau tells homeowners to make all necessary temporary repairs, such as boarding up windows and patching holes in walls or roofs, as soon as possible.^[5] When the roof or walls are in doubt, that work belongs to the contractor, not to you on a ladder under a sagging roofline. The order of the first few days is in what to do first after storm damage.

Who decides a house is unsafe

In Virginia, the local code official makes that call, not the homeowner and not the insurer. Where a house is declared unsafe, the official can order occupants out, and the building is posted at each entrance with this wording: "THIS STRUCTURE IS UNSAFE AND ITS USE OR OCCUPANCY HAS BEEN PROHIBITED BY THE CODE OFFICIAL."^[3] Once it is placarded, the code says entering the structure shall be prohibited except as authorized by the code official to make inspections, to perform required repairs, or to demolish the structure.^[3]

The code also lets the official act quickly: the code official may authorize emergency repairs to unsafe structures when it is determined that there is an imminent danger of any portion of the unsafe structure collapsing or falling and when life is endangered.^[3] If you think the house may be unsafe to occupy, call your locality's building department and say so plainly.

When to call a licensed pro

Call one for any structural question, and for every structural repair. Under the Uniform Statewide Building Code, a permit is generally required before work that involves "any structural component", and applications for emergency construction, alterations, or equipment replacement shall be submitted by the end of the first working day that follows the day such work commences.^[4] Your contractor should pull the permit and arrange the inspection.

Hire carefully after a storm. The Code of Virginia lists among prohibited acts: "Contracting for, or bidding upon the construction, removal, repair or improvements to or upon real property owned, controlled or leased by another person without a license or certificate".^[7] DPOR notes that consumers have very little recourse against unlicensed contractors.^[6] Look up the licence in DPOR's License Lookup before you sign, and get at least three estimates whenever possible.^[6] Be wary of anyone who knocks on the door offering to "check the structure" for free: see how to spot a storm-chasing contractor. For what repairs cost and how your deductible changes the numbers, read how much storm damage repair costs in Virginia.

Loclis lists DPOR-licensed businesses with their licence details. Browse restoration services, read more restoration answers, or describe the damage once and licensed local pros will quote it.