Rebuilding after Isaias: permits, the 50% rule and licensed contractors

You can tarp a roof or board a broken window after Hurricane Isaias without a permit, but permanent roofing, structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing repairs may need one. “A declared state of emergency does not automatically waive building permit requirements,” Santa Rosa County‘s building inspections office said on Oct. 12, 2026, in its storm repair guidance. Florida law speeds up permits for common storm repairs such as reroofing and electrical service changes, and homes in a flood zone face one more test: if repairs cost 50% or more of the building’s market value, the home has to be brought up to current flood rules.

Isaias made landfall near Destin on Oct. 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. Santa Rosa County alone counted more than 100 structures destroyed and more than 400 with major damage as of Oct. 16, in its Oct. 18 update.

Which Isaias repairs need a building permit?

Temporary steps to stop more damage do not wait for a permit. Santa Rosa County lists covering a damaged roof with a tarp and securing broken openings as things owners may do right away.

Permanent work is different. Under Section 553.7922, Florida Statutes, repairs such as roof repairs, reroofing, electrical repairs, service changes and replacing a single window or door get expedited permitting, the county says. Expedited is not the same as exempt: the work still goes through the building department.

If your power is off because the meter base or service equipment was damaged, a licensed electrician registered with the county files the permit. In Santa Rosa County, those “Work With” permits go through MyGovernmentOnline, and the county said it is putting homes that can be safely re-energized first. Santa Rosa asks owners to email [email protected] before starting permanent repairs.

If you live inside a city, the city’s building department may issue the permit instead of the county. Ask before work starts.

What is the 50% rule after a hurricane?

The 50% rule, which FEMA and Florida counties call “substantial damage,” applies to buildings in a flood zone. Walton County‘s substantial damage page defines it as damage where “the cost of restoring the structure to its condition before it was damaged would equal or exceed 50% of the market value.” Two flood losses in 10 years that average 25% or more of market value also count.

What it means in practice:

• A substantially damaged building that does not meet current rules must be elevated. In Walton County, the standard is the base flood elevation plus 1 foot.
• The county asks for a current market value appraisal of the building, a repair estimate from a licensed contractor and the county’s substantial improvement and damage affidavit and worksheet. The floodplain manager then schedules an inspection.
• The repair estimate counts the full cost of putting the building back, not just what insurance pays.

Bay County separates this flood test from a structural one. Its substantial structural damage packet says the 50% flood rule “applies only in flood zones,” while a structural damage check under the Florida Existing Building Code looks at how much load capacity the walls and supports lost.

How does the Bay County structural damage check work?

Bay County’s packet lays out these steps:

1. Send the substantial structural damage assessment request to Bay County Builders Services.
2. The building department inspects the vertical structural members.
3. If it finds substantial structural damage, hire a Florida-licensed design professional for a structural evaluation.
4. Attach that evaluation to your repair permit application.

If the damage is less than substantial, the building may be rebuilt to the code it was built under. If wind caused substantial structural damage, the repair must meet current wind load standards, the county says. Bay County Builders Services is at 840 W. 11th St., Panama City, (850) 248-8350, [email protected].

How do I check a contractor’s license in Florida?

Look up any contractor on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s license search before you sign or pay. The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Isaias page lists DBPR’s license verification line, (850) 487-1395, and its Unlicensed Activity Hotline, (866) 532-1440. Santa Rosa County also asks residents to use contractors registered with the county, warning that unlicensed people “may take advantage of owners after a storm.”

Phone numbers as of Nov. 2, 2026, from the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Isaias page.

Will flood insurance help pay to elevate my home?

It may. National Flood Insurance Program policies include Increased Cost of Compliance coverage, which Walton County points to from its substantial damage page, for buildings a community declares substantially damaged. Ask your flood insurer about it when you file, and keep the county’s substantial damage letter with your claim papers.

This story is information, not legal or engineering advice.

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