What will reconstruction cost and how long will it take?

Not generally. If your home was a historic building, there may be restrictions on how you can rebuild, as well as HOA and local zoning regulations.

In some disaster-prone areas, local, state, and federal authorities are trying to discourage people from rebuilding homes when they are likely to be badly damaged or destroyed again in the near future.

This is a very complicated decision, and you should make it in consultation with a restoration expert who can help you understand the different factors involved, including safety, cost, convenience, and legal restrictions.

After a disaster, you must first make sure everyone is safe, and safely out of a damaged structure.

Code requirements for construction are constantly changing as we learn more about, for example, fire hazards, or as the needs of homeowners increase, such as the increased demand for electrical outlets and circuits that can handle the load.

With any major restoration or reconstruction project, you are likely to need multiple permits.

Although general contractors are skilled in managing teams of contractors on big jobs like new house construction, they are likely not prepared to handle the challenges of a reconstruction. For example, they may not be able to salvage, restore, and store the moveable property that survived the disaster.