Rebuilding after weather takes something from you is a long process, and outbuildings are usually the last thing anybody gets to. When you do get there, a few practical things will save you time and money.
Document before you clean up
If the loss is recent, photograph everything before anything gets moved: the structure, the contents, the debris field. Write down what was inside with makes and serial numbers where you have them. Insurance adjusters work from evidence, and a cleaned-up site is a harder claim than a documented one. Ask your agent specifically how detached structures and their contents are covered under your policy and up to what limit.
Know the real timeline
Stock buildings typically move in 1 to 12 business days. Custom builds run 3 to 6 weeks. Somebody from our team calls 7 to 14 business days before delivery to verify details. If you need something on the ground quickly, ask about what is already built rather than ordering custom, and say up front that you are working against a deadline. You can also walk the inventory at any of our locations 24 hours a day to see what is on the ground; staffed hours vary by location, so call ahead if you want to talk to someone.
Site it better this time
Where a building sits matters for wind. Avoid the open exposed corner of a property if you have a choice, and use existing tree lines and terrain as a break where you can, without putting the building directly under limbs. Orient the building so the narrow gable end faces the prevailing wind rather than presenting the long broad side to it.
Anchor it. Ground anchors with cable or strap tie-downs at the corners are inexpensive and they are the single most effective thing you can do. A lightly loaded building is far easier to move than a full one, and empty is exactly how a new building starts.
The pad
Level gravel, about a foot larger than the building on all sides, standing a few inches above the surrounding grade so water sheets away. A properly built pad also keeps a building sitting square, which matters for how it handles wind load.
What our coverage actually says
Every Cardinal building carries a 10 year guarantee. It protects your building against acts of nature such as storm damage and settling, and it covers our craftsmanship. If it is covered, we repair it or we replace it. That is a real commitment and it is worth having in writing on a building you are putting up in a place that has already been hit once.
The LP SmartSide siding carries a 50 year warranty and the AdvanTech flooring carries a lifetime warranty. When a claim comes up on either, we handle it. You do not chase the manufacturer.
Size for what you have now
Do not automatically replace like for like. Inventory what you actually need to store today, measure the five biggest items, and add about a third for what you will accumulate. We build from 6×8 up to 16×60, and one larger building almost always beats two small ones on cost per square foot and on usefulness.
Paying for it
If insurance is covering part of it, rent-to-own can bridge the rest without a credit check: 24 to 60 month terms, from $75.44 a month, first two months as the deposit, no early payoff fee, so you can clear it when a settlement lands. Cash custom orders take 20% down and financing with no money down is available with approved credit. Buildings start at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8.
Get Started on Your Dawson Springs Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Dawson Springs.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
