TAMPA, Fla. — Homeowners impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton may be still drying out their properties, but experts say there’s some important information they need to consider before they start with repairs and rebuilding.

What You Need To Know

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 50% rule applies to homes in flood prone areas

  • Different municipalities can have different interpretations of the rule and how it’s applied

  • Pinellas County Property Appraiser Mike Twitty says the purpose for the rule is to protect homeowners

It’s the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 50% rule, which applies to homes in flood prone areas. It limits the cost of improvements to a structure to 50% of its market value.

If costs exceed that amount, homeowners are left with options. They can raise the home, or knock it down and start over to bring it into compliance with current flood regulations.

Some property owners are up to speed about the rules, but Pinellas County Property Appraiser Mike Twitty said homeowners have been contacting his office about the rule and what happens if they have to tear down their homes and rebuild.

“Most of it's been via email and some calls," he said. "More of them have been, 'What’s going to happen to my property value or my taxes if I rebuild or if I repair?' and then some have been asking about the 50% rule.

“We’re getting calls from property owners and architects on ‘How do we do the calculations so that we can minimize the impacts on any square footage change.'"

Those are questions homeowners like Christie Bruner said she never wanted to have to ask. Her home — which is located in the flood-prone Shore Acres neighborhood — flooded during Hurricane Helene.

“The 50% rule, we have definitely heard of in terms of being able to build back without having going to full code," she said. "So, we wanted to continue to learn about that."

Twitty said the purpose for the rule is to protect homeowners.

“It’s not 50% of the overall property value, it’s 50% of the depreciated value of the improvement," he said.

"So you’re only talking about the main dwelling structure. Not the land," he added. "This is for federal FEMA compliance. These are federal rules. They’re trying to encourage homeowners to not continue to invest in at-grade properties that are in harm’s way.”

Something else to keep in mind with the 50% rule: Different municipalities have different interpretations of the rule and how it’s applied.

For more information, visit the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s website. Residents may also want to check with their local building code office.