Pre-Storm Inspection
Pre-Hurricane Structural Checklist
What to check on a pool cage, lanai, or carport before storm season — and where a homeowner visual check ends and a licensed structural inspection should begin.
What You Can Check Yourself
Visible fastener condition
Look along screen panel edges and post bases for missing, rusted, or backed-out screws. A single missing fastener isn't an emergency, but a pattern of them along one panel is a sign the whole edge is under-secured.
Post base condition
Check where support posts meet the deck or footer for cracking in the surrounding concrete, visible gaps, or rust staining at the base plate — all signs the anchoring may no longer be sound.
Screen tension and tears
Loose or torn screen panels don't just look bad — a torn panel changes how wind loads the frame around it, sometimes for the worse. Note any panels that are sagging, torn, or missing spline.
Roof panel seams
On composite or solid roof sections, check seams and ridge caps for lifting, separation, or previous repair tape. A seam that has already lifted once is a likely failure point again.
Loose or stored items nearby
Furniture, planters, and grills left inside or near a screen enclosure become uncontrolled projectiles under wind load and can damage the structure from the inside. Clear or secure them before a storm.
What a Licensed Contractor Checks
- Fastener pull-test sampling at post bases and panel edges to check actual holding strength, not just visual condition.
- Verification that post-to-footer connections match what the original permit and structural documentation (if available) specified.
- Torque-check or re-fastening of any connections found loose during inspection.
- Assessment of whether roof panel attachment meets current fastening standards, or needs supplemental fastening before storm season.
- Documentation of pre-storm condition with photos, useful for insurance purposes if storm damage occurs later.
If your visual check turns up loose fasteners, cracked post bases, or lifted roof seams, get it looked at before storm season gets underway rather than after a storm is already in the forecast.
Schedule a Pre-Storm InspectionThis checklist is general guidance from BayBuilt Structures and does not replace an on-site structural assessment of your specific property by a qualified professional.