If you live in Louisiana, you know the next big storm could be the one that gets you. If you are in a financial position to make specific improvements to your home, it may pay off in the long run.
The right measures could increase the chance that your house survives the storm. There are financial incentives available to help cover the improvement costs. If you comply with the requirements, you could be entitled to tax deductions and state sales and use tax exclusions. It could also reduce the price of your home insurance.
The improvements taken must meet the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code.
You can do them when building a new home or retrofit them to your existing home. These are some of the steps you could take:
- storm shutter devices
- building design
- roof bracing
- secondary water barriers
- opening protection
- roof-to-wall strength
- roof deck attachment
- roof covering and roof covering performance
- wall-to-floor-to-foundation strength
- window, door and skylight strength
If you implement any of these measures, you need to complete the required paperwork and have the improvements inspected by an official approved by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council. Failing to follow the correct construction procedures could mean you do not get the incentives you hoped for, leaving you out of pocket.
When you are having work done, you or the builders may come across older work that was poorly done. This may mean the improvement work you do is pointless, because you are building on top of a weak, or inappropriately built structure. All is not lost if this is the case. Seek legal advice: You may be able to claim compensation from those who did the work.