Construction
CONSTRUCTION
During Step 7, your program-selected contractor will be issued a Notice to Proceed (NTP), allowing construction-related activities to begin. The contractor will perform construction activities – either rehabilitation or reconstruction – as outlined in your Estimated Cost of Repairs (ECR) and grant agreement, including the scope of work and standard-grade construction materials that will be used for your home.
As a reminder: Homeowner Recovery Program construction activities address the structure of your home only; the program is not able to repair or replace items like garages, carports, sheds, fences, and driveways that are not attached to the structure of your home.
If you received funding from other sources (such as FEMA or SBA) to repair your damaged home, federal law requires those funds to be used for their intended purpose – home repair – before the program may provide additional dollars in the form of a grant. If, during the damage inspection, the program can not verify that funds you previously received from other sources were used to repair your damaged home, you may owe escrow funds to the program. Escrow must be paid at or before the time you sign your grant agreement. Once you enter Step 7, those escrow funds are matched with your grant funds to ensure your construction project is fully funded.
Your grant agreement, which is accepted and executed during Step 5, details the terms of your Homeowner Recovery Program grant, including the scope of construction activities and the type of materials that will be used to rehabilitate or reconstruct your damaged home. Please note that your grant agreement may not be partially accepted; in other words, if you have a reimbursement and rehabilitation grant agreement, you may not only accept the reimbursement portion. All repairs in the damage inspection reports must be complete and have passed all local inspections before a reimbursement check can be mailed. All repairs must be completed before the reimbursement check can be sent.
All program construction activities detailed in your grant agreement are conducted in compliance with Green Building Standards – meaning that all construction is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient – and using standard-grade materials to bring homes up to federal Housing Quality Standards (HQS).
Please note the use of standard-grade materials is required by federal law and therefore not negotiable. Standard-grade materials will be used even if you may have had higher-grade materials in your home at the time of the flood event; the program’s use of standard-grade materials allows the program to serve as many homeowners as possible while also ensuring that all homes are treated equitably, with all homes receiving the same standard materials for the same repair items.
The program will manage the construction process on your behalf; you will not receive any funds directly and or do business directly with the contractor, although as the homeowner you must adhere to the homeowner responsibilities outlined within your grant agreement.
Homeowner responsibilities during construction include:
- Acknowledging the contractor’s right to access the property and home during construction.
- Removing all personal property, fixtures, and appliances as necessary to complete construction in a timely manner.
- Agreeing to release the contractor from liability for damages for disposing of any remaining personal property, fixtures, and appliances in the areas subject to repair and/or rehabilitation.
- Maintaining compliance with program safety protocols (which may include refraining from being on site during periods of construction work, as determined by the general contractor and construction manager).
- Providing notice of defects within thirty (30) days of discovery.
- Providing permission to the contractor to secure doors, change locks, temporarily partition areas and/or rooms of the home, or otherwise limit access in the home for areas and/or rooms under construction.
- Providing permission for the construction manager, the general contractor, and the program inspector to take photos and/or videos of construction as it progresses.
In addition to the responsibilities above, you will be notified as progress is made and will be required to review and sign inspection forms, as needed, and as outlined in your grant agreement.
If you have any questions during the construction process, please contact your Construction Liaison, who is your best point of contact regarding construction-related activities. Your Case Manager will also remain a resource for you during this time.
If your grant agreement is for a reconstruction, more information can be found on the reconstruction webpage.
Proceed to Completion