Home Inspections Are an Important Step for FEMA Assistance

San Diego, Calif. — The home inspection is a critical step in the FEMA application process. Failure to meet with the home inspector prevents the application from moving forward. Home Inspectors can verify ownership and identify items in a home that may make you eligible for assistance. If survivors have already cleaned up or made repairs, they can share documentation and pictures with the inspector to verify the damage from the Jan. 21-23, 2024, severe storm and flooding. 

After applying for FEMA assistance, FEMA may call survivors to schedule an appointment to inspect the damage to their home. This call may come from an unknown or restricted phone number — it is important that survivors answer this call so that applications can move forward.

FEMA Home Inspectors 

FEMA inspectors carry an official FEMA photo ID. If a badge is not visible, survivors can ask the inspector to show it. 

FEMA inspectors will already have the survivor’s nine-digit registration number and will never ask for money. 

Don’t give banking information to a person claiming to be a FEMA housing inspector: FEMA inspectors are not authorized to collect financial information or ask for a Social Security number. 

If a FEMA inspector comes to a survivor’s home and the homeowner did not submit a FEMA application, the survivor’s personal identity information may have been used to apply without their knowledge. If so, survivors need to inform the inspector that they did not apply so the inspector can submit a request to stop further processing of the application. 

If a survivor suspects identity theft, submit a report at IdentityTheft.gov.

If survivors have questions about whether someone is representing FEMA, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT, Monday – Sunday. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you call. 

Language translation and ASL interpreters will be available at the survivors’ request to ensure effective communication to survivors whose primary language is not English, and survivors who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing. 

To watch an accessible video about FEMA home inspections, visit FEMA Accessible: Home Inspections - YouTube.

Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance

Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call 800-621-3362, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT. Multilingual operators are available when registering for assistance by phone. If you use a relay service,
such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.

For the latest FEMA information on the Jan 21-23, 2024, San Diego County severe storms and flooding, visit
www.fema.gov/disaster/4758.

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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including
sexual harassment), sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, or
economic status.

If you believe your civil rights are being violated, you can call the Civil Rights Resource line at 833-285-7448 (TTY
800-462-7585). Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should update FEMA
with their specific number assigned to that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).