What should you have ready before disaster season starts?
Written by Andy Kruger
BuildSOS CEO4 min read
The short answer
Build a pre-disaster priority client list, confirm your supplier and subcontractor relationships, and have your communication plan (website, social, voicemail) ready to activate instantly. The contractors who capture the most work in the first 72 hours after a disaster are the ones who did this groundwork weeks or months earlier.
What to lock down in advance
- Build a priority client list. Identify clients who’ll need fast response — elderly clients, those with medical needs, commercial clients with business interruption insurance — so you know exactly who to contact first when a disaster hits.
- Confirm supplier relationships. Know your key material suppliers’ inventory and delivery capabilities before you need them urgently.
- Confirm subcontractor availability. Check in with your go-to electricians, plumbers, and roofers so you’re not scrambling to find reliable help during the surge.
- Prepare your communication plan. Have a plan ready to update your website and social media with your status and availability the moment a disaster hits, and know what your voicemail message will say.
- Stage your team. Make sure your crew knows the plan: who checks in on team safety first, who deploys for assessments, who staffs the office.
- Review your own insurance. Confirm your builder’s risk coverage and general liability are current before the season, not after a claim reveals a gap.
Frequently asked
How far in advance should I start this?
Ideally at the start of each disaster season for your region: spring for hurricane season, similar seasonal lead time for wildfire or winter storm exposure.
Do I need a formal written plan, or is a mental checklist enough?
Write it down. Under the pressure of an actual disaster, a written plan gets followed. A mental checklist gets forgotten in the chaos.
What’s the single highest-value piece of pre-season prep?
The priority client list. Knowing exactly who to call first, and having their contact information ready, is what lets you move fast when speed matters most.
About the author
Andy Kruger
Andy Kruger is CEO of BuildSOS, author of When the Storm Comes, and sits on multiple boards and advisory groups shaping disaster resilience policy and research.
About Andy