CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Oct. 30, 2024) – As residents continue to repair their homes after the damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Charlotte County Community Development reminds homeowners to be aware of FEMA’s 50% Rule when assessing and planning repairs to their damaged homes. 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. The 50% Rule is based on your home’s market value – what your building alone (excluding land value) would sell for today between a willing buyer and seller.
- You may use a private appraisal completed in the past 12 months.
- If you don’t have a recent appraisal, email the Charlotte County Property Appraiser at RP@CharlotteCountyFL.gov to confirm your building’s market value.
- Once you have both your repair estimate and your home’s market value, determine whether the cost to repair is less than 50%:
- 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%, email FloodInfo@CharlotteCountyFL.gov to discuss your repair options.
- 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, visit www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov/FEMA50 or email FloodInfo@CharlotteCountyFL.gov. Every property owner’s situation is different, so it is important to get help that applies to your specific case.
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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