Hurricane Season and Your Active Job Site: How a Builder Protects Your Project

If you are building in Palm Beach County, your project will spend part of its life in hurricane season. A twelve to twenty month schedule crosses at least one, usually two.

This is normal, and it is manageable. What it requires is a builder with a plan written before the season rather than assembled the day a storm is named.

What a real storm plan covers

Before the season starts:

• The site is organized so it can be secured quickly
• Material deliveries are scheduled with storm risk in mind
• Temporary structures, scaffolding, and fencing are installed so they can be taken down or braced
• Trades are briefed on the sequence and the trigger points
• Contact list and communication plan are set with the owner

When a storm enters the forecast cone:

• Loose material is removed from site or secured
• Dumpsters are emptied or hauled
• Scaffolding and temporary structures come down or get braced
• Openings on a dried in structure are protected
• Excavations and trenches are addressed for water and collapse
• Equipment is moved off site or tied down
• Photos are taken to document site condition before the event
• The owner is told what was done and when

After the storm:

• Site inspected before anyone works
• Damage documented and reported
• Water removed, debris cleared
• Structure and shoring inspected before work resumes
• Schedule impact assessed and communicated honestly

Builder's risk insurance

The single most important thing to confirm before construction starts is who carries the builder's risk policy and what it covers.

This policy covers the structure and materials during construction. It is not your homeowners policy, which typically starts at completion. Ask for:

• Who is the named insured and who is the additional insured
• The policy limit relative to the full construction value
• The wind and named storm deductible, which in Florida is often a percentage rather than a flat amount
• Whether materials stored off site and in transit are covered
• What happens if the project runs past the policy term, which is common

A percentage based named storm deductible on a multimillion dollar project is a real number. You want to know it in advance, not after.

Stage matters

Not every point in a build carries the same risk.

A slab and foundation are resilient. A framed but open structure is the most exposed condition, particularly with trusses set and no sheathing or roofing. A dried in structure with a completed roof and protected openings is in a much better position.

Where a South Florida builder earns their fee is in sequencing. Getting a project dried in ahead of peak season, when the schedule allows it, is worth real effort. That is a conversation to have during scheduling, not in August.

Schedule expectations

Build weather contingency into the schedule from the start. A named storm that passes nearby typically costs several days between preparation, the event, and site recovery. A direct impact costs more, and regional effects on labor and material supply can extend beyond your site.

A schedule with zero weather allowance in South Florida is not a schedule. It is a wish.

Our guide to how long a custom home takes in Palm Beach County covers the full timeline picture.

What to ask your builder before June

1. What is your written storm plan for my site?
2. At what point in the forecast do you trigger it?
3. Who carries builder's risk, and can I see the certificate?
4. What is the named storm deductible?
5. How will you communicate with me before and after an event?
6. Where will my project be in the sequence by peak season?

A builder who answers those six clearly has done this before. A builder who has to go find out has not.

If you are planning a build that starts this year or next, let us walk you through how we handle it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Planning a project in South Florida?

SouthShore Builders is based in Delray Beach and builds across Palm Beach County and Broward County.