Chapter 6 › XIX. Surveys to Assess or Locate Damage or Debris Impacts

Can we claim the cost of finding and inspecting disaster damage?

FEMA term

Surveys to assess or locate damage or debris impacts

Short answer

Surveying overall impacts and locating damage are not project costs, but can be claimed as management costs. Detailed inspections to determine the extent of damage and how to repair it are part of the project.

What FEMA requires

Assessing overall impacts, locating damage or debris, and preliminary damage assessments: eligible only as management costs.
Inspecting a facility where damage was found during a post-declaration survey: eligible as management costs if the facility is eligible.
Detailed inspections and professional evaluations to determine extent of damage, debris quantities and repair method: eligible as project costs.
For partially damaged systems, eligible inspection cost is proportional: inspect 500 feet of sewer and find 100 feet damaged, and one-fifth of the cost is eligible.

Documentation

Inspection reports, the length or area inspected versus damaged, and time and cost records.

Watch out · Govstar practitioner advice

Scope system-wide inspections (sewer, storm drains) carefully. FEMA pays only the damaged share, so a broad inspection can cost you more than it recovers.

Govstar summarizes FEMA’s Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide in plain language and links to the official text. Govstar is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. This is general guidance, not legal advice.