Hurricane program
Hurricane Program for Palm Beach County Estates
The week a storm is named is the week no contractor in the county will answer. Our program puts the readiness work in May, the deployment on a forecast schedule, and the post-storm inspection on record before anything is moved.
Pre-season through post-storm, held by one team across Palm Beach and Martin Counties — with the dated photographs your carrier will ask for.
Definition
A program, not a service call.
A hurricane program is a standing seasonal engagement rather than a single service call. It runs from pre-season preparation in May, through named-storm deployment when a system enters the cone, to a documented post-storm inspection and the claim record that follows. The distinguishing feature is that the work is already scheduled and the materials already staged before anything is named — because the week a storm forms is the week no contractor in the county is available.
Every June we hear from owners who discovered a missing shutter panel with a system already three days out. In May that is a phone call. In a watch it is not solvable at any price.
The season
Three phases, held on a calendar.
What we do, and when we do it, for every residence on the program.
May — pre-season readiness
- Shutter and panel inventory verified against every opening, with missing or damaged panels replaced while they are still in stock.
- Track hardware, bolts, and wing nuts serviced; impact glass and door seals inspected.
- Generator load-tested, oil and filters serviced, fuel confirmed and treated, transfer switch exercised.
- Roof, soffit, and flashing inspection; drains, scuppers, and gutters cleared.
- Pre-season condition photographs of every elevation and room filed for insurance.
- Insurance declarations reviewed for deductible, flood coverage, and any owner obligation buried in the policy.
72 hours out — storm watch
- Outdoor furnishings, umbrellas, planters, art, and equipment stowed inside or secured.
- Shutters and panels deployed on the schedule the forecast allows, not the night before landfall.
- Pool water level lowered and equipment protected; irrigation and landscape lighting shut down.
- Generator fueled and tested again; refrigeration and freezers pre-cooled.
- Documentation refreshed and time-stamped so post-storm damage is provably new.
- Vehicles, boats, and lifts moved or secured per your instructions.
After the storm — inspection and record
- First inspection as soon as the area is legally accessible, with photographs before anything is moved.
- Water intrusion, roof, window, and envelope assessment; standing water and moisture readings taken.
- Generator and power status confirmed, refrigeration checked, and mitigation started within the window that keeps mold out of a claim.
- Emergency tarping, board-up, and dry-out coordinated through vendors already on our roster.
- A written and photographed report to you and, on request, directly to your carrier or adjuster.
- Shutters struck and the house returned to normal operation once the season allows.
Why a program
What being on the calendar buys you.
Four differences between a standing program and a call placed during a watch.
- Scheduled, not summoned
- Program clients are on a calendar set in May. Owners calling during a watch are competing with the entire county for the same crews.
- Materials already on site
- Panels, hardware, fuel, and fasteners are inventoried and staged before the season. Nothing depends on a supply house that sold out on Tuesday.
- The documentation is the point
- Time-stamped pre-storm and post-storm photographs are what turn a disputed claim into a paid one. Carriers ask when the damage occurred; a dated record answers.
- One accountable party
- You are not coordinating a shutter company, a generator technician, a roofer, and a restoration firm from another state. One team holds all four.
Related reading and services
Owners who want the preparation work itemized can use our hurricane preparation checklist, and the closing sequence for the off-season is in the summer departure checklist.
The program is included in full estate management in Palm Beach County, and pairs with home watch services for inspections through the vacant months. Trade access during the season is handled under vendor management.
The wider seasonal calendar this sits inside — pre-season hardening, the wet-season cadence, and the reset afterward — is described under storm preparation and seasonal readiness, with the mechanical and envelope work itself running as estate maintenance on a fixed calendar.
Questions
The hurricane program, answered.
What is a hurricane program for a Florida estate?
A hurricane program is a standing seasonal engagement covering three phases: pre-season readiness in May, when shutters, generators, roofing, drainage, and insurance documentation are verified; named-storm deployment beginning roughly 72 hours out, when furnishings are stowed, shutters are closed, and time-stamped photographs are taken; and post-storm inspection, when the property is assessed and photographed before anything is moved and mitigation is started. It differs from a single service call in that the work is scheduled and the materials staged before any storm is named.
When should hurricane preparation actually start?
May, before June 1. Shutter panels, generator parts, and qualified installers are all available in May and none of them are available during a watch. Every year we replace panels for houses that discovered a missing one only when a storm was already three days out.
Do you deploy shutters if I am out of state?
Yes — that is most of our program. Deployment begins on the schedule the forecast allows rather than the night before landfall, and you receive photographs confirming the house is closed. Striking the shutters afterward is included.
What happens immediately after a storm?
We inspect as soon as the area is legally accessible and photograph everything before anything is moved. Water intrusion, roof, envelope, and moisture readings are documented, mitigation is started inside the window that keeps a water event from becoming a mold event, and emergency tarping or dry-out is coordinated through vendors already on our roster. You get a written report, and your carrier can receive it directly.
Will this help with an insurance claim?
Materially, yes. The most common reason a Florida claim is reduced or denied is that the owner cannot establish the property's condition before the storm. Dated pre-season and pre-storm photographs, paired with post-storm images taken before anything was disturbed, answer the question carriers actually ask. We do not adjust claims or give coverage advice — we produce the record your adjuster works from.
Can I engage the hurricane program without full estate management?
Yes. It stands alone as a seasonal engagement, and it is also included in full estate management. Most owners who start with the program alone add year-round oversight in the following season.
Related reading
Before you hire
- What is home watch?
The plain definition: a scheduled inspection of an empty home, with a photo report after every visit.
- Choosing a home watch provider
What separates an accountable firm from a neighbor with a key and good intentions.
- Selecting an estate manager
The credentials and habits that matter when one person speaks for the house.
- Home watch cost in Palm Beach County
Why square-footage pricing gets a waterfront house wrong, and what we charge instead.
- Questions owners ask first
Terms, scope, and what is included before you commit to anything.
Get on the May calendar
Tell us about the residence and its shutter system. Or call an owner directly at 561-351-6323.