Engineer Launches Free Tool to Prevent Hurricane Insurance Claim Denials

HurricaneInspections.com offers homeowners a DIY tool that helps prove hurricane damage isn't pre-existing

Apr. 2, 2026 at 4:36pm

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A licensed Professional Engineer has launched a free tool called HurricaneInspections.com that helps homeowners document the pre-storm condition of their property through a guided process of photographing and cataloging their roof, exterior, windows, interior, attic, and outdoor structures. This 'baseline' report can then be paired with a post-storm damage report to provide clear before-and-after evidence, preventing insurers from denying claims by arguing the damage was pre-existing.

Why it matters

The lack of pre-storm property documentation is a major problem that costs homeowners billions of dollars annually, as insurance companies routinely argue that hurricane damage was pre-existing rather than caused by the storm. This free tool provides a solution to that problem, giving homeowners the evidence they need to prove their claims.

The details

HurricaneInspections.com walks homeowners through a process to photograph and document every area of their property, including the roof, exterior walls, windows, interior ceilings, attic spaces, fences, and outdoor structures. The tool then generates a timestamped PDF report that serves as dated evidence of the property's condition before a storm event. This 'baseline' report can then be paired with a post-storm damage report to provide clear before-and-after documentation, eliminating the insurance company's most common defense of 'pre-existing damage'.

  • Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
  • Early forecasts for 2026 suggest another active season.
  • The tool is available now at HurricaneInspections.com, giving homeowners time to complete their baseline documentation before the first storm threatens.

The players

Enrique Lairet, PE

The founder of HurricaneInspections.com and a licensed Professional Engineer who has completed hundreds of storm damage investigations and served as an expert witness in property insurance disputes.

HurricaneInspections.com

A storm damage documentation toolkit created by the team at Oasis Engineering, a licensed Professional Engineering firm.

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What they’re saying

“In my experience across hundreds of investigations and expert witness testimony, roughly 70% of claims that end up in litigation involve some form of the pre-existing damage argument. The homeowner has photos of the damage, but nothing to prove the damage wasn't already there. That gap is entirely preventable.”

— Enrique Lairet, Founder, HurricaneInspections.com

“Cases with before-and-after documentation settle faster and at higher values. The evidence doesn't leave room for the insurer's typical defenses. This is exactly the kind of documentation I wish every homeowner had brought to me during my investigations.”

— Enrique Lairet, Founder, HurricaneInspections.com

What’s next

Homeowners are encouraged to update their baseline annually or after any significant property improvements.

The takeaway

This free tool provides a solution to a major problem that has cost homeowners billions of dollars in denied hurricane insurance claims. By giving homeowners a simple way to document the pre-storm condition of their property, it eliminates the insurance industry's most common defense of 'pre-existing damage' and helps ensure they get the full coverage they're entitled to.