Flood damaged property

[Karen A.]

What advice can you offer to those who are faced with deciding if they should restore or if they should rebuild flood damaged property? What factors should be considered when evaluating and assessing flood damaged property in order to decide if restoring a property is the best option or if building from the ground up is the best alternative?

[Brian Adzadi]

@Karen A.

I am by no means a contractor to answer with full professional understanding. However, I am a utilizer of common sense and common sense tells me, you are much more better off building from the ground up than trying to restore or rebuild a flood damaged house. Water reaches almost every crevice of a house when there is a flood, and from the devastation I saw on the news, the flood had gone as high as the second floor of some houses.

I would be willing to restore or rebuild if the bones of the house was mainly concrete, cinderblock or brick. Those materials are meant to surpass the test of time. However, if the house structure is mainly wood, dump it. The water damage would be too insidious that even places you don't expect to be damaged, will be. The worst concern for you is the potential for mold to build up in the house, molds in places you can't see. Such as between the walls. So be very careful if you truly decide to do this.  

[William Burgess]

If your home meets the criteria for substantially damaged, then you will have no choice but to elevate or relocate your home in order to meet local building codes. Whether you are rebuilding your home after a flood or trying to prep your home when you know flood waters are rising, there are things you can do to minimize damage to your home and property. You should take various flood proofing measures when rebuilding your property to make it better this time.

[Sean Ridlon]

Originally posted by @Karen A.:

What advice can you offer to those who are faced with deciding if they should restore or if they should rebuild flood damaged property? What factors should be considered when evaluating and assessing flood damaged property in order to decide if restoring a property is the best option or if building from the ground up is the best alternative?

 Miss Karen, would you please clarify for me if you mean flooded as in "in a flood plain, damaged by water originating from outside the home such as from a body of water" or flooded as in "sewer or septic back flow, frozen or damaged pipes, or other source originating from the plumbing or drainage system of the home"?

It's going to be two very different answers from me depending on which we are discussing!

[Chad Aziz]

Is this your personal home you're talking about or an investment property?  I think the thought process is a bit different for each scenario.