CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Oct. 21, 2024) – As residents begin repairing their homes after the damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Charlotte County Community Development urges homeowners to be aware of FEMA’s 50% Rule when assessing and planning repairs to their damaged properties. This rule helps homeowners decide how to move forward with repairs and stay within local and federal guidelines.
- Before starting any repairs, make sure you obtain a full estimate of how much it will cost to fix the damage to your home.
- You need to know your home’s current market value (excluding land value). If you have had a private appraisal within the past 12 months, that assessment can be used. If not, contact the Charlotte County Property Appraiser at 941-743-1498 to find out the building’s value.
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Once you have both your repair estimate and your home’s market value, determine whether the cost to repair is less than 50% of your home’s market value.
- If the cost is less than 50%, you can hire a contractor or pull permits to start repairs.
- If the cost is more than 50%, call Charlotte County Community Development to discuss your repair options.
If you’ve made improvements to your home in the past year, this could affect the 50% calculation.All permits that are related to a single event (hurricane, fire, flood, etc.) are counted together toward the 50% threshold, whether the permits are open or closed. Contact Community Development if this applies to you.
For more information, call Community Development at 941-743-1201. Every homeowner’s situation is different, so it is important to get help that applies to your specific case.
For recovery information, call the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center at 941-833-4000 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or visit www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov/storm.
Follow Charlotte County Emergency Management for important emergency information at www.charlottecountyfl.gov/em, www.facebook.com/oemcharlottecounty, and www.x.com/ccoem.
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