If you’re feeling frustrated waiting to repair your home after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, you’re not alone. Many are still in limbo, waiting for permits to begin their home repairs and return to normalcy.

State Representative Linda Chaney, a resident of St. Pete Beach, warns that starting repairs without the proper permits can have serious consequences, not just for the individual homeowner but for the entire community.

“You might feel impatient and think, ‘I’m just going to hang my drywall and move back in,’ but that’s a risky move,” Chaney cautioned.

She acknowledges the difficulties with the permit process but stresses the importance of adhering to it. The risks go beyond mere fines; if unpermitted work is widespread, FEMA might penalize the community.

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“By doing unpermitted work, you risk having to undo all your efforts,” Chaney explained. “If FEMA finds significant unpermitted work during their review, it could impact everyone’s insurance.”

Chaney elaborated, “Worse yet, such actions could lead FEMA to remove the whole community from the national flood insurance program, leading to the loss of discounted or even all flood insurance options.”

This scenario could severely affect the local real estate market, potentially limiting home purchases to cash-only transactions, as obtaining mortgages would become challenging without flood insurance.

Post-Hurricane Ian, Lee County and cities like Cape Coral and Fort Myers Beach faced similar issues. FEMA reported that 25% of homes in Cape Coral were non-compliant due to unpermitted repairs, potentially costing the community millions in insurance benefits. 

This summer, Cape Coral residents were warned about a possible suspension from the flood insurance program, though the city managed to overturn this through an appeal. 

Chaney is keen to prevent similar outcomes in Pinellas County. Two years after Hurricane Ian, Fort Myers Beach is on probation with FEMA, which has already started affecting local insurance rates.

“You could end up with a neighborhood where only cash buyers can purchase homes, which damages not only your prospects but your neighbors’ as well,” Chaney concluded.

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