Handling a Home Emergency During COVID19

What a time to be alive, right? As Michigan is currently on an official Stay at Home order, chances are you are spending some serious time at home. Unfortunately, your home doesn’t know that things aren’t exactly business as usual nor does it particularly care about some stinkin’ virus. While we hope you don’t actually need this advice (your plate is full enough as it is), here is what to do if you should find yourself in the middle of a roofing, plumbing, electrical or other emergency home situation:

First things first, what constitutes an emergency?

According to Federal Guidelines, essential industries include “workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences”. That being said, if you have a plumbing, roofing, electrical or pest problem during this time, it may be considered an emergency.

Okay. I have an emergency. Now what?

Times of crisis can be a breeding round for shady contractors. We recommend contacting us so that we can pair you with a reliable contractor who has been adequately vetted. Given the current climate, we are expediting all emergency requests and you can anticipate to be receiving quotes from contractors in no more than 24 hours.

Great. I’ve contacted a contractor. What should I do now?

If you feel comfortable, you can attempt to temporarily address the problem yourself. This could include shutting off the water or power to your home or placing a tarp over a hole in your roof. If you are unsure if you can safely do something, err on the side of caution and don’t. The last thing you need is to fall through the hole in your roof and have a medical emergency in addition to a home emergency.

While you can’t predict an emergency, you can have a plan in place for what you would do in the event of one. Preparedness is half the battle, especially when things aren’t exactly operating as normal.