Release Date:
September 21, 2017
After you register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a FEMA inspector will contact you to schedule an inspection for your damaged home.
What you need to know:
- If your original registration said your home was inaccessible, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to update your status.
- On-hold wait times of 2.5 to 4 hours have been reported, so please be patient as no inspection is scheduled until the applicant informs FEMA the home is accessible.
- It may take up to 30 days for a FEMA-contracted inspector to contact an applicant.
- When the inspector arrives, ask for official identification. The badge should include the inspector’s name, company and photo.
- Inspectors will have your case number and details about your property.
- The inspector will assess and verify damage caused by the disaster. There is no inspection fee. Generally, the inspection lasts about 30 minutes or less.
- If you are a homeowner, the inspector will verify your ID, proof of ownership and occupancy. If you are a renter, the inspector will verify your ID and occupancy via a rental agreement, recent utility bill, etc.
- Be aware of scams. Disasters often bring out criminals who prey on survivors. Call law enforcement immediately if someone claiming to be an inspector does not show you a badge with a photo or asks for money. Guard your personal information.