Safety first: make sure the property is safe to enter. Then photograph and video the damage before major cleanup when possible, protect the property from additional damage, notify your insurance carrier, keep receipts for emergency expenses and temporary repairs, and avoid permanent repairs before the damage is properly documented. Our Storm & Disaster Recovery Guide walks through all of it step by step.

Mitigation stops additional damage and stabilizes the property — water extraction, drying, temporary roof protection, debris removal, mold prevention, emergency stabilization. Reconstruction is what comes after: repairing or rebuilding the damaged property once the emergency phase is over. TomCo’s primary value is carrying a property from damage and mitigation into completed reconstruction, coordinating with qualified mitigation companies where emergency dry-out services are needed.

Yes — hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, water intrusion, wind damage, roof failures, storm-related structural damage, and other major losses. Depending on conditions, projects may involve repair, major reconstruction, redesign, elevation considerations, or complete rebuilding.

Yes — but an insurance estimate is not automatically the final construction scope or the actual reconstruction cost. Differences can arise from missing scope, pricing, code-required improvements, engineering, hidden damage, design changes, and current construction conditions. We’ll show you exactly where the estimate and the real project differ; the claim itself remains between you and your carrier.

We help identify the differences between the insurance scope and the actual construction needs, and provide the documentation those gaps require — hidden damage, missing scope, code work, updated material costs, engineering, permitting, demolition, or newly discovered reconstruction needs. You then work with your carrier, adjuster, public adjuster, or attorney; TomCo’s role is construction, not adjusting or legal services.

Yes — we coordinate construction information with insurance adjusters, public adjusters, engineers, architects, attorneys, mortgage companies, and other professionals. Our role is construction, estimating, design, and reconstruction; theirs is the claim.

Yes — architectural design, engineering coordination, reconstruction planning, budgeting, permitting, demolition coordination, new-home construction, and construction management, through our Design Studio and custom home team.

Often, yes — floor plan, kitchen, bathrooms, exterior, windows and doors, finishes, accessibility, energy efficiency, systems, and potentially square footage. We clearly separate insurance-funded restoration from owner-paid upgrades so the accounting stays clean.

Major reconstruction can trigger current code requirements depending on the damage and scope — potentially electrical, structural, roofing, windows and doors, flood requirements, energy, mechanical, and life safety. What applies depends on your property and jurisdiction, and we identify it early so it’s in the plan, not a surprise.

In applicable flood hazard areas, substantial-damage and substantial-improvement rules generally require that when repair or improvement costs cross a threshold relative to the structure’s value — commonly described as 50% — the building must be brought into compliance with current flood requirements. The details are property- and jurisdiction-specific: local determinations, valuation methods, and flood requirements all matter, so get a property-specific evaluation before making rebuild decisions. Our full guide goes deeper.

Yes. Flood-zone reconstruction may involve flood elevation, FEMA and local floodplain requirements, foundation design, engineering, finished-floor elevation, utilities, and permitting — all property-specific, all coordinated under one team.

There’s no honest one-size answer: severity, the insurance process, design, engineering, permitting, materials, scope, owner selections, and whether the home needs redesign or complete rebuilding all affect duration. What we promise is a realistic schedule for your project, communicated continuously.

Identify qualified contractors early — especially after widespread disasters, when capacity fills fast. But don’t rush a major agreement before you understand the contractor, scope, process, contract, insurance implications, and pricing structure. A trustworthy builder will survive your questions.

Verify Florida licensing and insurance, local experience, major reconstruction experience, permitting capability, design and engineering resources, written contracts, communication systems, references, and fluency in insurance-related reconstruction documentation. TomCo brings that combination — construction, design coordination, estimating, project management, and Tampa Bay experience — under license# CRC1332920 | CBC1264541 | AR100677.

Emergency mitigation and permanent reconstruction are different disciplines. TomCo coordinates with qualified mitigation companies for emergency dry-out and stabilization; our primary value is moving your property from damage and mitigation into completed reconstruction.

Hidden moisture and mold are often discovered after storm and water damage. Specialized remediation or testing may require qualified professionals, and we coordinate reconstruction around those requirements — see our guide on mold prevention after a hurricane.

Yes — newly exposed conditions are documented with photographs, measurements, scope descriptions, estimates and change documentation, and professional recommendations where necessary, then shared with you and the appropriate professionals.

Yes — our storm restoration and reconstruction work covers Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and the greater Tampa Bay area.

Yes — this is a key TomCo differentiator: Damage Assessment → Architectural Design → Structural and Other Engineering → Permitting → Construction, coordinated by one team with an in-house Design Studio.

It depends on damage extent, the structure, flood requirements, code, existing configuration, insurance proceeds, reconstruction cost, desired improvements, property value, and your long-term goals. A feasibility evaluation puts real numbers behind the decision.

An owner’s agent is your professional representative on a construction project: reviewing contracts and budgets, checking work quality, validating pay applications, and holding the builder accountable. You get a licensed contractor’s eyes on your project without the builder’s conflict of interest.