Your first hour after the storm
- Treat every downed line as live. DTE says to stay at least 25 feet away, and Consumers Energy says to leave the area, call 911 and then 800-477-5050.
- Smell gas? Leave and call 911, then DTE at (800) 947-5000 or Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 from outside.
- Photograph the roof, windows, trees and wet rooms before anything is moved, and list what is damaged.
- Cover openings if you can do it safely: DIFS names tarping a roof and boarding windows as reasonable steps. Keep the receipts.
- Call your insurer and describe the damage as it is. DIFS says do not simply say flood, because rainwater intrusion may be covered.
- If water has soaked rooms, request a company on the form, and do not start permanent repairs until the insurer has inspected or says to proceed.
Water from above and water from the ground are insured differently
FloodSmart says the National Flood Insurance Program covers water that enters from the ground up, such as surge, flash flood, heavy rain or the overflow of a body of water, and does not cover water that enters from the top down, such as wind-blown rain or a roof leak. A standard homeowners policy typically excludes flood, which is why the first call to your insurer should describe what you see and let the insurer sort the cause.
Wind-driven rain also does not have to be Category 3 water. The group that maintains the IICRC S500 says top-down and weather-related water are not automatically Category 3, and that inspection sets the category. That affects what can be dried and what must be thrown away.
What storm damage restoration costs in Michigan: estimates, not quotes
Storm damage work has no Michigan price here. Where flood insurance paid, our count of OpenFEMA records is the only Michigan figure we can show, and it covers insured flood claims, not wind or roof damage.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | No estimate yet | We found no national published range for storm damage restoration, so we give no estimate; ask each company how it builds its price. |
| Hazardous materials removal worker wage, Michigan median | $22.30 an hour (middle half of workers: $19.66 to $26.65) | What the nearest federal occupation is paid (BLS May 2025, read through O*NET OnLine), not what you are charged. BLS has no water or fire restoration occupation. |
| Same occupation, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn median | $22.30 an hour (middle half: $19.83 to $27.17) | Pay, not price. Mapping to restoration crews is our inference. |
| Same occupation, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood median | $21.82 an hour (middle half: $19.66 to $27.50) | Pay, not price. |
| NFIP claims paid in Michigan since 2021 | 780 of 1,105 claims paid; mean about $23,800, median about $10,900 | Our own calculation from OpenFEMA records, not a FEMA statement. Flood claims only. |
How we estimate costs: the ranges on this site are estimates, not quotes. We show federal wage data and insurer and FEMA loss figures where we can cite them, and we are collecting Michigan restoration companies' published prices and will show a range once at least five are in. We have not yet collected customer quotes or invoices. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
What Michigan storms have triggered federal declarations
Since 2021 FEMA has issued four major disaster declarations for Michigan. DR-4607 (declared July 15, 2021) covered severe storms, flooding and tornadoes from June 25 to 26, 2021, and named Ionia, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. DR-4757 (February 8, 2024) covered storms and flooding from August 24 to 26, 2023 in Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne counties. DR-4880 was a winter storm in northern Michigan, and DR-4925 (June 30, 2026) covers April 10 to 21, 2026 storms and flooding in 37 counties. Check fema.gov for current status.
A declaration does not mean your claim is covered; it opens federal programs for the counties named. Michigan 211 connects callers with disaster recovery programs.
Debris, board-up and tarps
EGLE says debris from homes and businesses should not be burned, including roofing, insulation, carpet and furniture. EGLE handles storm debris management at the state level and can authorize emergency disposal for counties and municipalities, but not for individual homeowners. After the September 3, 2026 storm, Farmington Hills said removal of debris from private property is the owner's responsibility. A company that offers board-up or a roof tarp is doing the mitigation DIFS describes, and it should itemize it separately from repair.
When storm damage cannot wait
- A line is down or sparking. Call 911.
- The roof or a window is open to the weather.
- Water is soaking rooms or reaching outlets.
- A tree is against the house and you cannot tell what it is holding up.
- Shingle or siding damage with no water inside. Photograph it and call your insurer first.
- Branch cleanup in the yard.
Storm repairs: licenses and permits in Michigan
Roofing, siding and gutters are crafts named in Michigan's residential maintenance and alteration license, so paid repair of a one- or two-family home needs that license once one project reaches $600. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical repairs sit with those licensed trades. DIFS lists unsolicited door-to-door offers and requests to sign insurance checks over to a contractor among its warning signs after a disaster. Your city page names the permit office.
Ask which licenses your state requires for the work, and check them with your state's licensing office before any work starts. A credential from a private body, such as IICRC, is not a license.
A tool for this job
Will insurance pay?
What insurance pays depends on the cause and on the policy in your drawer, and nobody here has read yours. This tool gives what the Michigan insurance regulator (DIFS) and the National Flood Insurance Program say for each common cause, and what to ask your agent. It is not a coverage decision.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
Will homeowners insurance pay for storm damage in Michigan?
DIFS says standard policies cover a wide range of winter-related disasters such as wind damage and leaky roofs, while flood is excluded from most standard policies. The policy controls, so read the exclusions and ask in writing.
What does the storm damage restoration process look like?
Safety, covering openings, extraction, drying, then repair. Our pages on emergency water removal and structural drying cover the water steps.
Can I report scams and price gouging after a storm?
Yes: DIFS says to report scams or price gouging to the Michigan Attorney General at 877-765-8388.
How close can I go to a downed power line?
DTE says at least 25 feet from a downed line and anything it touches, including puddles and fences, and to assume lines are live. Consumers Energy says never approach a downed wire.
Is wind-driven rain Category 3 water?
Not automatically: top-down and weather-related water are not automatically Category 3, and inspection sets the category.
- RestorationMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- O*NET OnLine (U.S. DOL/ETA), BLS 2025 wage data: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), Michigan Read Oct 19, 2026. Our reading of the source, not something it states outright. Confirm before you rely on it.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 (select query) Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 (count query) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DTE Energy: Electrical Emergency Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Consumers Energy: Outage Center Read Oct 19, 2026.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Start a claim Read Oct 19, 2026.
- S500 CB Position Statement (Feb 2026) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan 211 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- FAQ: Storm Recovery (EGLE) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Managing Storm Debris (EGLE) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City reminds community members of debris removal guidelines following late August storm Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS Disaster Prep: Flood Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS Disaster Prep: Winter Storms Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS press release: Stay Safe, Stay Covered (Mar 17, 2025) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 339.2404 Issuance of licence Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 339.2403 Exemptions Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DTE Energy: Natural Gas Emergency Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Consumers Energy bill insert: What to do if there's a natural gas emergency (Oct 2020) Read Oct 19, 2026.