What to do if your house floods

Check your insurance policy – Flood damage is not covered by standard homeowners or renters insurance policies. In some high-risk flood areas, home and business owners may be required by law to carry flood insurance.

Repairing the damage – Don’t make any permanent changes to your property until you get approval from your insurance provider. They may not fully reimburse you for repairs made without their permission. Take photos of the storm damage to show your insurance company.

Get multiple estimates – Shop around and get at least three different estimates before deciding on a contractor. Make sure the estimates are broken down the same way. Watch out for high-pressure sales tactics and businesses of questionable repute — research company profiles at BBB.org to find reputable contractors. You can find more helpful tips on choosing a reliable contractor here.

Ask for proof of liability, workers compensation, and licensing – Verify that the contractor has the correct license to do work in California. This protects you in case something happens while working on your property.

Get everything in writing – Ask for a written contract from anyone you hire. Clearly written, detailed proposals that are broken down into separate line items are a good sign that the contractor is being thorough and has prepared an accurate estimate.

Beware of scams

Watch out for scammers who are seeking to take advantage of an owner’s haste to repair the damage. Here are a few red flags:

• Door-to-door workers who claim to have leftover materials. Check to see if they have solicitation permits and ask for identification. Don’t agree to front porch sales pitches.

• A contractor who shows up unannounced and claims your home is unsafe. If you are concerned about possible structural damage in your home, have an engineer, architect, or building official inspect it. While most roofing contractors abide by the law, be careful allowing someone you do not know to inspect your roof. An unethical contractor may actually create damage to get work.

• Never pay in full for all repairs in advance. If you are making a down payment, make sure it is no more than 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less.

• Businesses without local addresses. If a company doesn’t have a permanent place of business, this may be cause for concern.

How to prepare for a flood

Steps that businesses and homeowners can take to reduce the impact of a flood:

• Take pictures/video of your business or home as a point of reference in the event of an emergency.

• Back up critical digital files on a portable external hard drive and store it away from the office.

• Properly anchor fuel and propane tanks so they don’t float away in case of flooding. Also, ensure you keep your fuel levels full ahead of storms.

• Have copies of your insurance policies on hand and have an electronic version available.

• Collect family photos and other mementos in a centralized and easily accessible area, preferably in a watertight container.

• Keep medicines together in a waterproof container.

• Prepare an emergency kit with a change of clothes, weather-appropriate footwear, flashlight, water, and battery- or crank-operated radio to monitor the weather without electricity.

• Discuss your emergency plan with your family. Designate a “safe place” inside if you have to take shelter and a meeting place outside in case you have to evacuate.

– Better Business Bureau