Flood Damage Cleanup for Small Businesses

If you own a small business flood damage cleanup will be twice as painful compared to people who only have their home to worry about. Flood damage cleanup in your small business can be more painful than cleaning up the flood damage in your home because not only are you worried about where you will live you are concerned about how you will provide for your family. While everyone is heartbroken after a flood most people do not lose their jobs as a result.

The most important preventative measure you can take to protect your small business is to get the stock off of the floor. Heed the possible flood warnings and take measures to get your product up off of the floor. Almost all floods are less than a foot of water so this may be a good rule of thumb when preparing for a possible flood. The other thing to do is make sure your flood insurance is up to date. Most policies need to have been enacted at least thirty days before a flood so make certain you take care of this vital detail before the flood is on the horizon. If you lease the space you use for your business be certain who is required to pay for the flood damage cleanup. Some leases specifically state that the owner of the building is only responsible for water removal. This is a good start, but there are often many other expenses associated with flood damage cleanup.

Depending on the type of business you own there may be local ordinances regarding what you can salvage and what you must, by law, discard. Most communities require any food product that has been in contact with water be discarded. Pretty much any equipment that is in your small business can be salvaged after flood damage cleanup. If the equipment has an electrical component it should be allowed to dry for several days before being tested. If you have any furniture that has cloth material you may have to throw it away. Your local health department will advise you on what you are allowed to keep after the flood damage is assessed. If you are forced to throw anything away due to flooding your insurance company should cover it, but again make sure of this before the flood occurs.

Small businesses often bear a disproportionate amount of the cost when paying for water removal and flood damage cleanup. The regulations imposed on you by your local health department can seem unfair and arbitrary. However they do have the public’s best interest in mind when requiring more of you than the average homeowner. For this very reason it cannot be stressed enough to understand each clause of your flood insurance contract. One of the only positive pieces of a water damage restoration project for your small business is that it can be written off as a business expense on your tax return. This isn’t a lot to comfort someone who sees their business flooded, but it can save you several thousand dollars which will defray a lot of the cost involved in flood damage cleanup.