On this coast, storm prep is not a one-weekend scramble in September. The Gulf can turn quickly, and the January 2024 tornado that tore through our area proved that damaging wind does not wait for hurricane season. 30A Home Fixology helps homeowners in Santa Rosa Beach and across South Walton get ready before the sky changes, with shutters up, loose things secured, and gutters clear. We are also here to help you dig out and repair afterward, the way we did for our own neighbors after that January storm. We are locally owned, licensed and insured, and here year-round, not just when a storm makes the news.
Signs your home is not storm-ready
Most storm damage traces back to a handful of things left undone. Walk your property and look for these before the season, not during a warning:
- Shutter hardware you have never tested. Missing panels, seized tracks, or anchors you are not sure still hold.
- Loose fascia, soffit, railings, or trim. Anything already rattling in a normal breeze becomes a projectile in a real blow.
- Clogged or sagging gutters. They overflow into walls and under the fascia during a tropical downpour.
- Outdoor furniture, grills, and planters with no plan. If you cannot bring it in or tie it down fast, it is a missile waiting for wind.
- Doors and sliders that do not seal or latch tight. Wind-driven rain finds every gap in worn weatherstripping.
- Trees and limbs overhanging the roof. The first thing to come down in high wind, and the hardest to deal with after.
What we do before the storm
Good prep is mostly about removing the things wind can turn into a problem. We handle the physical work that makes a coastal home ready:
- Shutter install and removal. Hanging accordion, panel, and Bahama shutters, fitting tracks, and taking them down and storing them cleanly once the threat passes.
- Board-up. Measuring, cutting, and fastening plywood over glass when shutters are not an option, using proper anchors instead of a few screws that pull loose.
- Securing the exterior. Re-fastening loose railings, fascia, soffit, and trim, and anchoring or hauling in the outdoor furniture, grills, planters, and umbrellas that become missiles in high wind.
- Clearing gutters and drains. A clogged gutter overflows into your walls during a tropical downpour, so we clear and re-secure them as part of prep.
- Doors and windows. Confirming that entry doors latch tight, sliders lock, and weatherstripping still seals against wind-driven rain.
Much of this is work we already do year-round: clearing and re-pitching gutters, tightening railings and boards on your deck, dock, and fence, and sealing up doors and windows. Storm prep is really about doing it early, with the forecast in mind.
The pre-season walkthrough
The best time to prep is May or June, before the first named storm and before every other homeowner calls at once. We walk the property with you and build a plan: which shutters you have and whether the hardware still works, where the tracks and anchors are, which trees overhang the roof, what outdoor items need a home, and whether your gutters and flashing can handle a downpour. We label and store shutter panels so putting them up later is a two-hour job, not a two-day puzzle. A calm walkthrough in June prevents most of the frantic calls in September. Our hurricane season handyman checklist is a good place to start.
How our pre-season walkthrough works
- We walk the property with you. We inventory your shutters and hardware, note every window and door, flag overhanging trees, and list the outdoor items that need a home.
- We build a written plan. A clear scope and estimate for what to fix now and what to stage for later, with no pressure.
- We fix and prep ahead of time. Re-fastening loose trim, clearing gutters, servicing shutter tracks, and sealing doors and windows while the weather is calm.
- We label and store your panels. Shutters marked by window and stored so putting them up later is a two-hour job, not a two-day puzzle.
- We are on call when a storm points our way. With the prep done, deploying is quick, and we prioritize by the forecast.
Shutters or plywood?
Both protect your glass. They just trade cost against convenience. Permanent shutters cost more up front but go up fast, come down clean, and last for years. Plywood is cheaper the first time and fine in a pinch, but it is heavy, slow to hang well, and usually a one-storm material once it soaks and warps. We install and maintain both, and we will give you a straight recommendation for your home and budget. We compare them in detail in storm shutters versus plywood.
Storm-ready across 30A
Wind behaves differently along this coast depending on where you sit. The historic cottages in Grayton Beach take the Gulf head-on and often have older shutter hardware worth checking early, while the newer builds around Inlet Beach on the east end sat in the path of the January 2024 tornado.
We remember that morning well. The tornado touched down without the days of warning a hurricane gives you, and by the time it passed it had peeled roofs, blown out windows, and scattered debris across yards that had been quiet an hour before. In the days that followed, we were out with our neighbors, tarping roofs to keep the next rain out, boarding broken windows, clearing downed limbs, and helping people take the first steps toward putting their homes back together. Nobody had a shutter up for that one, because nobody saw it coming. That is exactly why we treat storm readiness as a year-round habit and not a September scramble, and why we plan for the mess, not just the wind.
After the storm
When it passes, we come back. We remove and store shutters, pull tarps and make temporary roof and window repairs watertight, clear downed limbs and debris, and handle the fence, soffit, screen, and trim damage that wind leaves behind. For remote and rental owners we document everything with photos for your insurance and your records, and we tell you honestly when damage is beyond handyman scope and needs a licensed contractor or roofer. For the fixes we can make, we make them fast, because a small opening becomes a big water problem in the next rain.
What affects the cost
Storm work is usually billed hourly or as a flat rate per task, with a written estimate before we start whenever the timeline allows. The main factors:
- Home size and openings. The number and size of windows and doors to shutter or board drives most of the labor.
- Shutter type and condition. Working accordion shutters go up fast. Missing tracks, seized hardware, or a fresh board-up take longer.
- Timing. A planned June install is calmer and cheaper than an all-hands scramble as a storm enters the Gulf.
- Post-storm scope. Repairs depend on the damage. We prioritize the watertight, safety-first fixes and give you a clear estimate for the rest.
Why 30A homeowners trust us with storm work
When weather threatens, you want people who live here, know your home, and answer the phone. 30A Home Fixology is a locally owned, family-run crew led by owner Jeff Rogers, working with his son and a small team. We are not a storm-chasing outfit that shows up after a disaster and disappears; we were here before the January 2024 tornado and we are here now, with 41 five-star Google reviews from the neighbors we work for.
- Licensed and insured. Real coverage on ladders, roofs, and openings, and honest limits on what a handyman should take on.
- Here year-round. Local people you can reach before, during the run-up to, and after a storm, not a hotline.
- Coastal experience. We know how Gulf wind and salt work on shutters, fasteners, and trim, and we prep accordingly.
- Remote and second-home owners covered. We prep your empty house, photograph the work, and check on it after so you know exactly how it fared.
- Our guarantee. If something we did is not right, we come back and make it right.
Storm prep across South Walton
We prep and repair homes the length of Scenic 30A and inland through South Walton. That includes the high-dune homes of Blue Mountain Beach, the oak-shaded streets of Seagrove Beach, and the Gulf-front cottages of Dune Allen Beach, along with Grayton Beach, Inlet Beach, WaterColor, and Santa Rosa Beach. Wherever your home sits, we can build a storm plan that fits it.
Get ahead of the next Gulf storm before the cone ever points our way. Call or text 30A Home Fixology at (877) 753-5021 for a free estimate or to book a pre-season walkthrough, and we will build a storm plan that fits your home.
