A storm just hit Orlando, and your storefront, office, or restaurant needs to reopen. This storm damage repair checklist covers what to check on the exterior, what a handyman crew can fix today, and what needs a licensed Florida contractor or a permit before anyone touches it.
| Key Takeaways |
| This is the after-the-storm repair checklist — the companion to our pre-storm prep guide, which covers securing signage and clearing drains before a storm watch is issued. |
| Most of what breaks on a small commercial building — loose signage, scuffed paint, a dropped gate, a clogged downspout — is handyman-level work, not a contractor call. |
| Roof damage, structural issues, electrical work on signage or panels, and rooftop HVAC repair all need a licensed Florida contractor, and some storm repairs need a City of Orlando or Orange County permit even when the fix looks small. |
| Getting reopened fast usually comes down to order of operations: safety check, then repairs, then a pressure wash, then customers back in the door. |
| Clean Corps handles the exterior handyman side of storm recovery for Orlando small businesses — as a one-time punch list or folded into a recurring maintenance plan. |
This Is the Repair List, Not the Prep List
Our hurricane prep checklist for Orlando small businesses covers what to secure before a storm watch is issued — signage hardware, awning fasteners, drains, rooftop HVAC mounting. This guide picks up after the storm has already passed: what actually broke, what you can fix yourself with a handyman crew, and what has to wait for a licensed contractor or a permit. If you haven’t done the pre-storm walkthrough yet, that guide is worth reading before the next storm watch — this one is for right now, after the fact.
Your Storm Damage Repair Checklist: Start With a Fast Walkthrough
Before repairs, a quick safety pass: look for downed power lines, standing water near electrical equipment, or a roofline that looks visibly compromised, and keep everyone clear of those until a professional has cleared them. Beyond that, a storm damage repair checklist for an Orlando storefront, office, or restaurant is mostly a walk around the building with a notepad. Most Orlando small-business space is leased, and storm repair responsibility typically splits along the same lines as everyday maintenance under the lease’s CAM terms — items inside your unit are usually yours, while the roof, structure, and shared parking lot are usually the landlord’s. Check your actual lease rather than assuming.
Signage, Awnings & Storefront Glass
Illuminated and pole-mounted signage takes the brunt of wind-driven storm damage on a commercial building, and a sign that’s shifted, cracked, or hanging loose is both a liability risk and the first thing a returning customer notices. Re-securing mounting hardware on signage that’s simply worked loose is handyman-level work; a cracked panel, damaged conduit, or exposed wiring behind the sign goes to a licensed electrician. Awnings and canopies often take fabric tears or bent framing — a torn fixed-awning panel or a bent support arm is a repair item, while a retractable awning that won’t retract at all usually needs its motor or mechanism serviced by the manufacturer. Storefront glass that’s cracked but intact can often be temporarily filmed or boarded while a full pane replacement is scheduled; glass that’s failed structurally is a glazier call, not a handyman one.
Exterior Paint, Siding & Trim
Wind-driven rain and airborne debris chip paint and dent trim in a way that’s easy to miss until the storm has passed and the light is better. Scuffed or chipped paint around entries, corners, and anywhere debris made contact is a straightforward touch-up; if the storm knocked your repaint schedule off track entirely, see our guide on how often to repaint an Orlando storefront for the full cadence. Loose or cracked trim, soffit, and fascia are handyman-level fixes when the damage is cosmetic; if a section has pulled away from the structure or shows water intrusion behind it, that’s worth a closer look before simply repainting over it.
Fencing, Gates & Dumpster Enclosures
A leaning fence panel, a gate that’s dropped off its hinges, or a dumpster enclosure gate that won’t latch are common after high wind, and all three are typical handyman repairs — new post hardware, hinge adjustment, or a board swap. An unsecured dumpster gate is also a real hazard in the next storm, since it can become a projectile, so it’s worth moving up the list rather than leaving it for later. A fence or gate that’s fully down, rather than just loose, may need new posts set in the ground, which is still handyman-level work but takes longer to schedule than a hardware fix.
Gutters, Downspouts & Drainage
Storm debris clogs gutters and catch basins fast, and a commercial lot that drains slowly in a normal summer thunderstorm will pond even worse after a tropical system dumps leaves and branches into it. Clearing debris, resetting a gutter section that’s pulled loose from the fascia, and repairing or replacing a bent downspout are all routine handyman work. A parking lot or loading area that’s still ponding well after the storm has passed — not just during rain — usually points to a drainage or grading issue beyond a simple cleanout, which is worth flagging to your landlord or property manager if the lot is shared.
Handyman-Level Repairs vs. What Needs a Licensed Contractor
Sorting storm damage into the right column is the difference between reopening this week and waiting on a contractor’s schedule for work that doesn’t actually need one.
| Typically handyman-level | Needs a licensed Florida contractor |
|---|---|
| Re-securing loose signage and awning hardware | Electrical work on signage, panels, or conduit |
| Paint touch-ups, trim, and cosmetic siding repair | Roof repair, structural bracing, or foundation concerns |
| Fence, gate, and dumpster enclosure hardware | Rooftop HVAC repair, refrigerant work, or unit replacement |
| Gutter, downspout, and catch-basin clearing | Impact glass or storm shutter installation (structural-rated systems) |
| Caulking, weatherstripping, and door hardware | Standing water intrusion into electrical equipment |
| Pressure washing storefront, walkways, and entry | Any repair requiring a City of Orlando or Orange County permit |
Verify any contractor’s license status through the Florida DBPR license lookup before hiring for anything in the right-hand column.
Permits: When Storm Repair Work Needs One
Florida requires a permit for most storm-related repair work, even some jobs that look minor — this is general information, not a substitute for checking your specific project. The City of Orlando publishes a guide to permitting for hurricane-related repairs, and Orange County maintains its own storm repair and permit information page for unincorporated areas. Cosmetic handyman work — paint touch-ups, hardware repair, gutter clearing — generally doesn’t trigger a permit requirement, but roofing, structural, and most electrical work usually does. When in doubt on a specific repair, a quick call to the relevant permitting office is faster than guessing.
Getting Reopened: Order of Operations
Once the safety check is clear, the fastest path back to open is usually: handle anything urgent or hazardous first (the dumpster gate, exposed wiring, a door that won’t secure), knock out the handyman-level punch list, then finish with a pressure wash of the storefront, walkways, and entry — wind-driven debris and standing water leave a building looking worse than the actual damage warrants, and a wash often does more for a fast, presentable reopening than owners expect. See our guide on how often Orlando businesses should pressure wash their storefront for the full cadence beyond storm cleanup. If the interior also needs a reset before customers or staff return, our office cleaning checklist covers that side.
What This Costs
Storm repair work varies too much by scope to quote a flat number, but Clean Corps prices it the same way as any other punch list: a one-time visit scoped to what the walkthrough turns up, or folded into a maintenance package (5–20 handyman hours, $200–$700/month depending on tier) for businesses that want a standing vendor rather than a cold search every storm season. See our commercial handyman services or request a quote with photos of what needs attention.
Where This Fits
This guide covers what to do after a storm has already hit. For securing your building before the next one, see our hurricane prep checklist for Orlando small businesses. If you’re resetting a space between tenants rather than after a storm, our commercial turnover punch list covers that interior work, and our guide to storefront repaint timing covers the exterior paint side on a normal schedule, storm or no storm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with safety: downed power lines, standing water near electrical equipment, or a roofline that looks compromised should stay off-limits until a professional clears them. After that, walk the exterior for loose signage, awning damage, cracked glass, and drainage that’s still ponding.
The prep checklist covers securing your building before a storm watch is issued. This guide covers what to check and repair after a storm has already passed.
It depends on the repair. Cosmetic handyman work like paint touch-ups and hardware repair generally doesn’t require one, but roofing, structural, and most electrical work usually does. Check the City of Orlando’s permit guidance or Orange County’s storm repair permit page for your specific project.
No. Roof repair, structural work, electrical panel work, and rooftop HVAC repair all need a licensed Florida contractor. Clean Corps handles the handyman-level exterior repairs — signage hardware, paint, fencing, gutters — and will flag anything that needs a specialist rather than attempting it.
It depends on scope. Clean Corps can scope a one-time punch list from photos or a walkthrough, or fold storm recovery into a maintenance package (5–20 handyman hours, $200–$700/month depending on tier) for businesses that want a standing vendor for every storm season, not just this one.
On leased commercial space, it typically splits along the same lines as everyday maintenance under the lease’s CAM terms — items inside your unit are usually the tenant’s, while the roof, structure, and shared areas are usually the landlord’s. This isn’t legal advice; your actual lease governs.
Storm damage to check and fix at your Orlando storefront, office, or restaurant? Clean Corps handles exterior handyman repairs and recurring property maintenance for small businesses across Orlando, Winter Park, Dr. Phillips, Lake Nona, and the greater Central Florida area, veteran-owned and locally operated. See our commercial handyman services or request a quote.
About the Author
Lindsay Hatton is a handyman and property-maintenance specialist at Clean Corps, a veteran-owned company serving Orlando and Central Florida. She writes practical, field-tested guides on home repair, property maintenance, and getting properties ready for the next tenant, buyer, or season.