Building BACK – Naples Florida Weekly

Vehicles for Crowther Roofing & Cooling travel via barge to Sanibel before temporary repairs were made to reopen parts of the causeway to the island washed away by Hurricane Ian. COURTESY PHOTOS

Residents displaced from their hurricane ravaged homes for a year.

Repair requests waitlisted for weeks and calls not yet returned.

Mold lurking behind walls 10 years from now. These are among the new realities for Southwest Floridians trying to regain a modicum of normalcy following Hurricane Ian’s direct hit. Local companies leading the herculean effort to rebuild deployed help as soon as the winds died down and the floodwaters receded. But they can’t keep up with a demand so unfathomable each day seems to pose another unexpected challenge.

Contractors, insurance agents and disaster specialists spoke candidly to Florida Weekly about the long road ahead and the need for patience and perspective to get there.

“People need to keep in mind it’s going to take longer to get repairs,” said Tim Collier, a State Farm agent in Cape Coral. “I know a lot of insurance companies are prioritizing severity. A home with a gaping hole in the roof is going to be prioritized over a home with damaged shingles.”

A homeowner greets a contractor from Crowther, whose team was on hand to make emergency repairs to a home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

“Everything is overwhelming right now,” said Andrea Pelletier, a client advisor in private risk services at Gulfshore Insurance in Naples. “There’s just so much of everything we’re dealing with right now. The magnitude of claims has been enormous and continues to grow. This was an unprecedented, devastating flood. It’s incredibly heartbreaking to understand how its vastness is affecting our town.”

Three weeks post-Ian, and Mr. Collier’s agency had received over 2,000 claims — helped of them for vehicle damage. iMold Water Damage & Mold Restoration in Fort Myers has completed 160 remediations and renovations while owner Brian Bland’s damaged St. James City home remains untouched.

Forward progress has been slow. Stress wears on the faces of thousands of homeowners still awaiting a verdict from insurance companies. Customers are weary. Cleanup and construction crews can’t blink away the human impact they see in the field every day.

“It’s bad,” said Mr Bland. “My heart is broken every day.”

Tempers are starting to flare as anxious homeowners face longer wait times for an on-site inspection or even a callback. Mr. Bland estimates his average hourly workday extends well into double digits. A good week, he said, is returning 200 of the 1,000 calls pouring into the office. Although he’s been able to hire a handful of employees since the hurricane, it’s still not enough. And would-be customers are taking out their frustration online — posting one-star reviews because iMold didn’t return their call fast enough.

“I’m trying to have a can-do attitude,” said Mr. Bland, echoing the motto of the Navy Seabees, aka the US Naval Construction Battalions where he trained in mold remediation, asbestos and lead removal. “This is epic.”

Local companies are calling in favors to get building supplies to Southwest Florida and gain access to areas cut off by raging storm surge and broken bridges.

By the time the hurricane subsided, Crowther Roofing CEO Lee Scott Crowther had partnered with Florida Structural Group, local marinas and barge companies to boat building materials to hard-hit Sanibel Island, said Dana Parr, brand ambassador for the roofing company. Mr. Bland dialed into industry connections, sourcing drywall from Oregon.

Considering the scope and extent of damage to buildings throughout Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties, supplies will only stretch so far. Before Ian, the area was already experiencing a critical void of qualified, licensed and skilled tradespeople as well as material and supply shortages — a long-running narrative plaguing local homebuilders and construction companies since the global pandemic. Unprecedented demand as residents and businesses repair, replace and rebuild is bound to create incremental bottlenecks.

Some businesses were prepared. Ms. Parr said Crowther Roofing, which launched an air-conditioning division last year, stockpiled semi-loads of air-conditioners anticipating high demand this summer. With an in-house custom cabinetry shop, a cache of supplies in place prior to COVID and 300 employees, Cornerstone Builders of Southwest Florida is primed to aid rebuilding efforts, said CEO Tony Leeber Jr.

“Cornerstone is a big company,” he said. “We’re sending out 120 trucks every day from Sarasota to Marco Island and covering a lot of ground. We had the insight to anticipate material issues and have supplies in stock. We’re signing contracts every day.”

Best known for its custom kitchens, Cornerstone is also a licensed mold remediator and certified building contractor with the bandwidth for partial to whole-home remodels, including electrical and plumbing. Its foresight and in-house capabilities are a coup to homeowners whose insurance policies are covering high-ticket replacements costs for flooring, base cabinetry and countertops.

Mr. Leeber said Cornerstone is completing jobs within five weeks using on-hand materials. Special orders and custom work are expected to take three to four months. Deposits aren’t required, helping ease the financial strain for overextended and overwrought homeowners. Clients also get the peace of mind in hiring a local family-owned company in business in Southwest Florida since 1988.

Homeowners are encouraged to seek out local businesses, especially contractors, mold remediators and other specialists requiring a Florida license.

“People need to do their research before hiring a company they haven’t heard of or requires a large fee upfront,” said Mr. Leeber. “If a company wants a 40% to 50% deposit, I’d be leery.”

Cash rules and homeowners who have it are best to pay out of pocket now and get the work done before the surge of insurance money into the area reaches critical mass. Many folks are dipping into savings to fast-track repairs and renovations.

Additional damage will reveal itself over time. Air-conditioning condensers submerged in water are bound to fail in the coming months while hidden damage may lurk for years. Roof claims for Hurricane Irma “went on for years and years,” said Ms. Pelletier whose home was damaged during the 2017 storm. “Irma was a sleeper; the extent of roof damage wasn’t immediately known.”

With so many homes suffering flood damage and subsequent mold exposure, Mr. Bland predicts rolling shortages of drywall and tile flooring.

“Millions and millions of square feet of tile needs to be removed and replaced because of mold,” he said. “What the town needs most are tile removal companies which don’t need to be licensed by the state. We need the machines and the people. We can’t rebuild or finish mold remediation until the tile is removed.”

He also expects a skyrocketing demand for drywall, far eclipsing shortages in the early 2000s, which forced some builders to use so-called Chinese drywall, later linked to environmental health hazards.

“In this scenario we’re going to need 100 times that amount,” said Mr. Bland, whose company is removing thousands of water-logged square feet.

While Mr. Collier’s agency holds the dubious title of leading the market in insurance claims, it could be worse, he said. Florida’s tough 2002 building codes enacted after Hurricane Andrew and State Farm’s stringent underwriting guidelines — the reason for those higher premiums — significantly reduced wind damage and wind-related claims. Auto damage accounts for nearly 1,000 of the office’s claims.

“State Farm paid out a couple dozen total losses within five days of the storm,” said Mr. Collier, noting the insurer has been very proactive about identifying as many benefits as possible for its clients.

Thousands of homes were damaged by flooding, leaving little recourse for the 82% of Floridians without flood insurance.

Twenty days into Ian’s aftermath, Gulfshore Insurance was finally getting word from adjusters that payments are on the way, said Ms. Pelletier. Yet the extent of coverage for homes with flood insurance is still unknown as the company awaits FEMA’s interpretation of recent reforms to the national flood insurance program. Uncertainty and confusion are also compounded by the speculations of adjusters out in the field meeting with worried homeowners.

“Until we start to see conclusive adjusters’ reports, we just don’t know how the national flood insurance is going to cover our homeowners,” cautioned Ms. Pelletier. “We’re also hearing from clients who are getting completely opposite information than their neighbors. There’s no consistency.”

Mr Collins advises residents to file both homeowners and flood claims. A letter of denial from the insurance company will provide necessary documentation when applying for federal assistance, grants and zero-interest loans.

Homeowners indefinitely displaced by Ian are also facing the reality of renting in a market that has seen staggering monthly rate increases — rocketing up 30% to 40% in the last year alone. One local resident shakes his head in disbelief as he discusses friends from Naples who found the cheapest rental. “$4,000,” he said. “For a small apartment.”

Southwest Florida is also entering its peak tourism season when hotels significantly increase room rates.

Mr. Collier said policies may provide additional living expenses for lodging and meals during long-term displacement, particularly for those in mandatory evacuation zones. Coverage in evacuation zones may also be applicable for travel, lodging and meals during evacuation. He also advises business owners may also be eligible for benefits through policy endorsements covering loss of income and utility interruption.

“Rebuilding is going to take a while. We have clients who will be displaced from the homes for a year,” said Ms. Pelletier. “People need to be kind, patient and understanding. We need to work together to get through this.” ¦

In the KNOW

Avoiding contractor scams

Verify state licenses through Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation: 850-487-1395 www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR

Verify local contractor licenses through Collier County Contractor Licensing Office: 239-252-2431

Report unlicensed contractor activity: 239-252-2431 After hours: 239-252-5607

Report FEMA imposter scams: 866-223-0814

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