Structural Damage Assessment: Is the Building Safe to Enter and Repair?

What a structural damage assessment is

A building stands because a chain of parts carries weight down to the ground: roof, rafters or trusses, walls, floors, beams, posts and the foundation. A structural damage assessment checks whether that chain is still sound after fire, flood, storm or a long water leak.

The question it answers is narrow: is this building safe to enter, occupy and repair, and under what limits? It does not decide how to dry the building, who pays, or what the claim is worth. Those are separate questions with separate people.

The California Department of Insurance describes the insurance side of this. It says that if structural damage is likely, even when you cannot see any signs of it, you should discuss it with your adjuster, who may recommend that a licensed engineer inspect the property ⁴.

So the assessment can be triggered by the building official, by the adjuster, by a contractor, or by you.

HyreRestore does not inspect structures, dry buildings or adjust claims. This page explains the term so you know what to ask for and from whom.

How an assessment unfolds

Steps vary by place and by the kind of disaster. This order follows what CDC, the Red Cross, the NAIC and the ATC-20 evaluation system describe.

1. Stay out until someone qualified says it is safe. CDC says that if your home is damaged, do not reenter until a building inspector has examined it ¹. The Red Cross says to ask a building inspector or contractor to check the structure before you enter after a fire ².
2. Exterior check. From outside, the inspector looks for signs such as foundation cracks, missing support beams, damaged gas lines and loose power lines ². If damage is obvious from outside, the evaluation may be limited to the exterior ³.
3. Rapid evaluation. Under the ATC-20 system, the first team spends about 15 to 60 minutes deciding whether the building is safe enough to occupy and what restrictions to place on entry ³.
4. A posting. The result is one of three placards near the entrance: green INSPECTED, yellow RESTRICTED USE or red UNSAFE ³.
5. Detailed evaluation, if needed. A second team with more time and specialists may follow. The rapid posting must still be observed in the meantime ³.
6. Engineer or design professional. You may hire your own at any time. The jurisdiction can allow entry and occupancy to be set by a design professional you hire, if their written and signed recommendations appear reasonable and are posted on the building ³.
7. Repair plan and permits. Structural repairs are written up, permitted and inspected before the building is closed up.

Who may assess what: inspector, engineer, adjuster and contractor

Example: how a first look turns into findings

The worked example below is an illustration of the method, not a record of a real building. It uses the signs named by the Red Cross and the California Department of Insurance. Nothing here measures anything.

In each row the first action is to stop and ask. None of them is a repair. That is the pattern of a good assessment: look from a distance, record, and let a qualified person decide.

Where you will see an assessment in your own file

You may see a structural assessment in four places. A colored tape or placard at the door is the most visible.

The Red Cross says not to cut or walk past colored tape unless local authorities say it is safe, and not to enter a home with a color-coded sign until you get information about what the sign means ².

A written inspection record from the building department or an engineer is the second. Ask for a copy and keep it with your claim file.

The third is the adjuster’s report, where an engineer’s findings can support a larger scope. See working with an adjuster.

The fourth is the written scope of work. A restoration scope should say whether work depends on a structural clearance. The scope of work page lists the clauses to look for.

What a proper assessment protects

Limits of a structural assessment

The most widely published placard system, ATC-20, was written for earthquakes. The Applied Technology Council says it was written for volunteer structural engineers and building inspectors evaluating buildings after earthquakes ⁶.

Many places use similar postings after floods, fires and storms, but the meaning of each posting can vary by jurisdiction. The ATC guidance itself says the meaning of an Unsafe posting may vary among building jurisdictions ³. Ask your local building department how its postings work.

A rapid evaluation is quick by design. It decides whether the building is safe enough to occupy and does not replace a detailed look at a damaged beam or connection ³. A building that passes a rapid look may still need an engineer before a repair plan is written.

Assessments also change. The ATC guidance notes that later events can add damage, and an owner with evidence of new damage should ask for reinspection ³. And an exterior-only posting says nothing about the inside: ATC says to request reinspection if you believe there are hazards inside ³.

What drives the cost, and who pays for the assessment

We publish no prices. What can be said is what changes them. A municipal inspection after a disaster can be a public service, though the rules differ by place and event.

An engineer you hire is a professional fee, and it grows with the size of the building, how hard it is to reach the damaged parts, and how much written analysis a repair plan needs.

Whether your insurer pays for an engineer depends on the policy wording and the claim. The California Department of Insurance notes that an adjuster may recommend hiring a licensed engineer, which is a reason to ask your adjuster early and in writing who is expected to pay ⁴. Do not assume an answer.

Repair cost depends on what the assessment finds. The ATC guidance warns that after a widespread event the demand for repairs may push even legitimate professionals’ prices up, and that several bids can help ³.

For line-by-line reading of an estimate, use the estimate checker and the cost guide. Lifespan and warranty of structural repairs belong to the contractor and engineer: ask for both in the written contract.

What you can do, and what to leave to professionals

A few steps are safe and useful. Everything that touches the structure itself is for qualified people.

1. Stay out if the building may be unsafe, and keep children and pets away. The Red Cross suggests leaving children with a relative or friend for the first inspection ².
2. Look from outside only. Note cracks, leaning, sagging rooflines and utility damage. Do not touch downed lines.
3. Call the building department and ask for a safety evaluation. Say whether the loss was water, fire or storm.
4. Tell your insurer about any structural concern and ask whether an engineer is needed ⁴.
5. Have the electrical system checked before power is turned on. CDC says to have an electrician check it ¹.
6. Get a signed contract with a full scope of work that requires a building permit ³.
7. Verify the contractor’s license and insurance before work starts. NAIC advises asking for a business license and proof of workers’ compensation and liability insurance ⁵.

After the assessment: keeping the finding useful

An assessment is a snapshot. These habits keep it accurate while repairs proceed.

• Keep postings in place until the authority removes them. Do not remove or cover them yourself.
• Report new damage. If a storm or aftershock adds damage, contact the building inspection office for reinspection ³.
• Match repairs to findings. Ask the contractor to confirm in writing that the scope addresses each item in the engineer’s or inspector’s report.
• Request final inspections. Permitted structural work has inspections. ATC notes a permit helps prevent challenges to the adequacy of work at sale or when insurance claims are made ³.
• File the paper trail. Keep the reports, permits, final sign-offs and photos together.

Warning signs of structural trouble, and when to call

Treat any sign below as a reason to stop and call a building inspector, not a reason to investigate inside.

• Foundation cracks, missing support beams or leaning walls seen from outside ².
• A jammed door or window after a fire or flood, which may mean the frame is under load ².
• A sagging ceiling or floor. The Red Cross says a wet ceiling is heavy and dangerous, and a sagging floor could collapse under your weight ².
• Cracks across walls, floors or ceilings that are new or growing ⁴.
• Gas smell, sparks or frayed wires. Leave and call the utility or emergency services ¹².
• Colored tape or placards on doors or windows. Do not cross them ².

Authority, permits and standards

The building department is the authority. Postings, entry limits and repair permits are set by the local jurisdiction. The ATC guidance says an Unsafe posting can require the owner to apply for a permit to enter the building by a means acceptable to the jurisdiction ³.

A red tag is not a condemnation. ATC says an Unsafe posting does not automatically mean the property has been condemned or will require demolition, and that local officials can involve the owner and the owner’s engineer or contractor in any demolition decision ³.

Permits for structural repair. ATC says repairs such as fixing chimneys or repairing damaged structural members will likely need a permit, and that owners doing their own repairs still need a permit and must request inspections.

Minor cosmetic work may be exempt ³. NAIC also tells consumers to ask contractors to show building permits and to check with local officials about permits or inspections ⁵.

Standards. The ATC-20 procedures and forms are published guidance used by many building departments. They are not a federal law. We do not reproduce them here, and the standard that applies to your building depends on your jurisdiction.

Insurance. Whether the policy pays for structural repair, an engineer or code upgrades depends on policy wording, endorsements, exclusions and state law. This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice.

The three ATC-20 postings, and related checks

Common myths about structural safety

Myth If the house looks fine from the street, it is safe.

Reality Red Cross guidance says damage outside can indicate a serious problem inside, and that a building inspector or contractor should check before you enter ².

Myth A red tag means the house will be torn down.

Reality ATC says an Unsafe posting does not automatically mean condemnation or demolition ³.

Myth A green tag means no repairs are needed.

Reality ATC says the posting does not imply damage should be ignored or repairs skipped ³.

Myth The restoration crew will tell me if it is structurally safe.

Reality Structural safety is for a building inspector or licensed engineer. A restoration company dries and cleans.

Myth I can force a stuck door to get in.

Reality The Red Cross warns that a jammed door may be supporting the rest of the home ².

The regional variable: your local building department and permit rules

When to ask for an assessment, and your next step

Ask for an assessment whenever a building has fire damage, floodwater that reached framing, a sagging floor or ceiling, a shifted door or window, new wall cracks, or visible damage to the foundation or roof structure.

If you are not sure, ask. A building inspector or engineer can say nothing is wrong far more cheaply than a collapse can be undone.

Your next step is a short call to the building department, then a note to your insurer asking whether an engineer should be involved. Do not begin demolition or drying inside until you have a clearance. For fire-specific questions read fire and smoke damage restoration, and for water see water damage restoration.

This page is general information, not engineering, legal or insurance advice.

Related terms

Fire-Damaged Structural Materials

Fire-damaged structural materials are the load-carrying parts of a building, such as framing, beams, joists and their connections, whose strength may have changed because heat charred, weakened or burned through them, and whether any of it can stay in place is an engineering decision, not a cleaning or visual one.

Water Damage Inspection

A water damage inspection is a structured check of a building after a water event to find the source, trace how far the water traveled, identify which materials are wet, and set the category, class and scope of work before restoration begins.

Hidden Water Damage

Hidden water damage is wetness or moisture harm inside a building’s walls, floors, ceilings or other cavities where it cannot be seen from the surface, such as from a slow leak, a past event or water that traveled away from its source.

Subfloor Moisture

Subfloor moisture is the amount of water held in the structural layer beneath a finished floor, such as plywood, oriented strand board or a concrete slab, measured as a percentage of the material’s weight.

Restoration vs. Reconstruction

Restoration, or mitigation, stops the damage and returns materials to a dry, clean condition. Reconstruction rebuilds what could not be saved. They are separate phases, often separate contracts, and the rebuild is the stage where you can compare bids.

Basement Flood Cleanup

Basement flood cleanup is the staged work of making a flooded basement safe, removing the water slowly, taking out materials that cannot be cleaned and dried, and then cleaning and drying what remains.

Photo Documentation for Restoration Claims

Photo documentation for restoration claims is a dated set of photographs and video that shows the damaged property, the affected contents and the work done, taken before cleanup or repairs change the scene, and kept with receipts and written records.

Water Damage Insurance Claim

A water damage insurance claim is a request to your insurer to pay for a covered water loss. Whether it is covered depends on the cause of the water, the policy wording and its exclusions, not only on the damage.

Also referenced from: Water Damage Inspection, Fire-Damaged Structural Materials