Free homeowner resource · Sarasota County
Hurricane Prep Checklist for Sarasota County Homeowners
Written from what we actually repair after every storm across Venice, North Port, Sarasota, Nokomis, Osprey, Englewood. Four phases, in the order they matter — starting in May, because the work that protects a house is contractor work, and no contractor in this county is available once a storm is named.
Fully insured · Mon–Fri 8a–6p · Sat–Sun 10a–6p
Start in May
Contractor work books out the moment a storm is named. Phase 1 is the whole game.
Wind gets in low
Rotted fascia and loose soffit are how wind reaches an attic — not usually the roof itself.
Photograph everything
Time-stamped before photos are the most valuable thing in a claim, and they cost nothing.
Do this before the first named storm forms
Phase 1 — Early season (May and June)
Everything in this phase takes a contractor to do properly, and every contractor in Sarasota County is booked solid once a storm is named. May and June are the only months you can get this work scheduled on your own timeline instead of in a panic.
- 01
Clean and reseal gutters and downspouts
A clogged gutter run backs water over the fascia during a 6-inch rain event, and Gulf Coast storms routinely drop that in a few hours. Rotted fascia is a five-figure repair; a gutter clean is not. Check that downspouts discharge at least 4 feet from the slab.
Gutter cleaning in Venice - 02
Repair wood rot on fascia, soffit, and door jambs
Rotted wood has no fastener holding power. Soffit panels held by soft wood are the most common way wind gets into an attic in this county — once it is in, it lifts the roof deck from underneath. Probe fascia and jambs with a screwdriver; if it sinks, it needs replacing.
Wood rot repair - 03
Re-screen and re-spline the lanai or pool cage
Loose spline lets a whole panel blow out, and a flapping panel tears the aluminum frame as it goes. Replacing the spline and a couple of panels now is dramatically cheaper than re-framing a pool cage after the fact.
Lanai & pool cage screen repair - 04
Reset leaning fence posts and secure gates
A fence panel is a sail. Leaning posts mean the concrete footing has failed, and that panel will come down and travel — usually into a window or a neighbor's screen enclosure. Gate latches that do not catch will beat themselves apart in 60 mph gusts.
Fence & gate repair - 05
Re-caulk windows, doors, and exterior trim
Wind-driven rain moves sideways and finds every failed bead of caulk. Most of the interior water damage we repair after a storm came in around a window, not through the roof.
Caulking & re-caulking - 06
Confirm your mailbox post is set in concrete
A post that wobbles by hand will snap. Most Sarasota County HOAs also require a specific post and box, and replacements sell out countywide after a storm.
Mailbox installation
72 to 96 hours out
Phase 2 — A storm is named and the cone includes us
At this point you are working with what you have. Focus on removing projectiles and documenting the property — no contractor in the county will be available, and hardware stores will be out of plywood and gas within 24 hours.
- 01
Photograph every exterior elevation and the roof from the ground
Time-stamped before photos are the single most useful thing you can have in an insurance claim. Walk all four sides, then photograph the lanai, fence, and any existing damage. Store them in the cloud, not just on the phone.
- 02
Clear the lanai and yard completely
Patio furniture, planters, grills, hose reels, wind chimes, solar path lights, and the trash cans. Anything that can be picked up will be. Furniture goes inside or in the garage — not into the pool, which chips the tile and stains the surface.
- 03
Trim branches that overhang the roof or lanai screen
Live oak and laurel oak limbs are what actually punch through pool cages here. Get anything within 6 feet of the structure cut back. Do not leave the trimmings at the curb — county pickup stops before landfall and the pile becomes debris.
- 04
Take down anything hanging on the fence or house
Flags, hanging baskets, wall art, address plaques, and screen doors held by a single hinge. Each one is a projectile with a bracket attached.
- 05
Fill the bathtub and freeze water jugs
Sarasota County water service can be affected, and a full freezer holds temperature far longer than an empty one. Tub water is for flushing toilets, not drinking.
Landfall window
Phase 3 — The last 24 hours
Short list. Do these, then stop working outside and stay inside — most storm injuries in this county happen to people still on a ladder when the outer bands arrive.
- 01
Install shutters or panels on every opening
One broken window pressurizes the house and turns a wind event into a roof event. If you only have panels for some windows, prioritize the largest openings and anything facing west or southwest — that is where our onshore wind comes from.
- 02
Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting
Buys you roughly an extra day of cold if power goes out, which in this county it will.
- 03
Charge everything and back the car in
Park facing out, in the garage if you have one, and keep the tank above half. Photograph the odometer and the car — vehicle claims need it too.
- 04
Shut off the pool pump breaker and lower the water 1 inch
Do not drain the pool — an empty pool can float out of the ground in saturated soil. Drop it an inch to absorb rain and kill power to the equipment so a surge does not take out the pump.
- 05
Move valuables and documents up and away from exterior walls
Interior closet, off the floor, in a sealed bin. Most of the water damage we repair is on the first 18 inches of drywall along exterior walls.
First 7 days
Phase 4 — After the storm passes
Document first, then mitigate. Insurers deny claims for damage that was allowed to get worse, so temporary repairs matter — but they need to be photographed before and after.
- 01
Photograph all damage before touching anything
Same four elevations as your before photos, plus close-ups of every specific failure. Match the angles so the pairs are obvious to an adjuster.
- 02
Stop active water intrusion, then document what you did
Tarps, plastic sheeting, towels, and buckets are all reasonable mitigation. Keep receipts — they are usually reimbursable.
- 03
Pull wet baseboard and cut back soaked drywall within 48 hours
Mold gets established in Florida humidity in about two days. Cutting drywall back 12 inches above the water line and getting air moving is what prevents a water claim from becoming a remediation claim.
Drywall repair - 04
Get on a repair list early, not perfectly
Every insured contractor in Sarasota County fills up within about 72 hours of a landfall. Call before you have a full scope — the scope can be sorted out at the estimate.
- 05
Beware of out-of-state door-knockers
Ask for a Florida license number and a certificate of insurance before anyone touches your house, and never pay in full up front. Post-storm contractor fraud is prosecuted in this county every single season.
Who this checklist is for
Sarasota County homes have a specific set of weak points, and they are not the ones national hurricane guides talk about. The 1950s and 60s block homes south of Venice Avenue have shallow fence footings and original wood fascia. The newer Pelican Pointe, Venetia, and North Port builds have large pool cages with a lot of screen area and vinyl fence runs that act like sails. Snowbird properties sit empty through the worst of the season with nobody to clear a lanai. This list is organized around those realities.
Anyone is welcome to copy, print, or link to this page — HOAs, property managers, realtors, and neighborhood newsletters included. If you want it adapted for your community's specific build type, call and we will put something together.
Hurricane prep FAQ
Hurricane prep questions Sarasota County homeowners actually ask
Get your storm prep on the calendar before season
Gutters, wood rot, lanai screens, fences, and caulking across Venice, North Port, Sarasota, Nokomis, Osprey, Englewood. Free estimates — and in May and June we can still pick your date.
Mon–Fri 8a–6p · Sat–Sun 10a–6p