Eligible expenses in the event of flooding or other disasters

In the event of a flood, numerous expenses are eligible for financial support and compensation.

Temporary preventive measures

You may receive an indemnity if you set up temporary preventive measures to avoid or limit damages to your principal residence and associated property.  

Property owners may receive $230 per day from the first to the last day during which the measures are taken.

Tenants may receive $130 per day from the first to the last day during which the measures are taken.

When you complete your application for financial support and compensation, you must specify the tasks that you performed to protect your residence and property.

A maximum of $8,000 per dwelling or per residence can be granted. No supporting documents are required.

Examples:
Such measures include moving furniture and equipment to a higher floor, installing sandbags, installing or monitoring pumps, boarding up openings, building a dyke, digging a ditch, etc.

Temporary accommodations and supplies

You may receive $40 per day from the fourth to the 100^th day for each person evacuated. 

Example:
You must leave your home for reasons of public safety or to have work carried out.

Moving or storage

You may receive up to $2,500 to offset reasonable expenses incurred (invoices required).

Example:
You move your furniture or store it elsewhere to carry out work following a disaster.

Eligible movable property

See the eligible movable property indemnities amounts that may be granted for each damaged item.

You must submit proof of the damage (photos).

The indemnities amounts can be reduced according to:

• the level of water that infiltrated the residence;
• the duration of the flooding;
• the site where the property was stored.

Examples:
Stove, oven, refrigerator, bedroom furniture, etc.

Emergency work

If you carried out emergency work to prevent further damage to your principal residence, you may receive a financial support and/or an indemnity.

If you performed all the work yourself, you may receive an indemnity that varies according to the water level reached and the characteristics of your residence. No supporting documents are required.

If a contractor performed the work, you may receive financial support equivalent to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for the emergency work, upon presentation of bids and invoices.

If you did some of the work yourself, you may receive an indemnity based on the water level reached and the characteristics of your residence. You may receive 25% of the indemnity for the portion of the work you did and 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for the portion of the work done by a contractor. Bids and invoices are required only for the portion of the work performed by a contractor.

Consult the indemnities for emergency work.

Examples:
Pumping water, demolition, cleaning, disinfection, extermination, etc.

Temporary work

If you carried out temporary work so that your principal residence would be habitable or functional while permanent work was being done, you may receive a financial support and/or an indemnity.

You may be eligible for a reimbursement equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred (bids and invoices are required), as well as an amount equal to the minimum wage for each reasonable hour worked.

Examples:
Temporarily restoring electricity, installing minimal insulation, boarding up openings, and performing work warranted for reasons of public safety.

Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to determine the eligible temporary work warranted for reasons of public safety.

Damage to the residence and access road

For damage to your residence and access road, you may receive up to $385,000.

For damage to the residence, a damage appraiser will produce a damage report indicating:

• the level of infiltrated water;
• the size of your residence;
• the type of foundation;
• whether the basement is finished or not;
• the number and types of parts, as well as the damaged equipment.

If the damage was limited to the basement of your residence, you may receive a flat-rate indemnity based on the level of infiltrated water, the outside perimeter of the residence, the number of standard sized rooms and the elements and other items damaged.

If the water reached the ground floor, you may receive an indemnity equal to 100% of the value of elements and other items damaged, as noted on the damage report.

Examples:
Finish work in damaged rooms, work on the residence’s shell, exterior siding, exterior doors and windows, and insulation.

In addition to theses indemnities, you will be entitled to financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for specialized or structural work, upon submission of bids and invoices.   

Examples:
The replacement or repair of a septic tank, an artesian well, a rubble or French drain or an electric vehicle charging station.

If you can demonstrate, by way of two bids, that the cost of repairing fissures to the foundation or concrete slab is greater than the indemnity amount provided for in the damage report, you will have the option of choosing either the indemnity or financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred. 

When flooding causes the residence to move from its original location, you may receive financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for eligible work to stabilize the residence, upon submission of bids and invoices.

Financial support may not exceed the new cost of your residence.

For damage to an essential access road, you may be eligible to receive financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for work to provide minimal and safe access to your home, upon presentation of bids and invoices.

Following the damage assessment, a municipality may refuse to issue a permit for repair or reconstruction if the damage is deemed too extensive. However, if the municipality has included costs for improvements in its total damage assessment, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique may refuse to consider the mandatory demolition permit.

Examples of improvement work:
Costs incurred for adding extra rooms or increasing the living space, expenses for flood-proofing work, and the like.

Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Mitigation measures for damages to certain equipment

You may receive financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred but not exceeding the new cost of your residence or a maximum of $385,000. Bids can be submitted for approval prior to work being initiated. Invoices are required.

Examples:
The purchase or installation of a sump pump, the relocation of a water heater, furnace, or service box above the flood threshold, etc.

Flood-proofing

Flood-proofing consists of applying various measures to protect your residence against possible flooding. If your municipality requires the flood-proofing of your residence, financial support may be granted for the work and expenses stipulated in the report of an engineering firm in the following three cases:

• The water has reached the ground floor.
• The foundations or the concrete slab must be redone.
• Stabilization work is required as the residence has shifted from its original location.

Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Moving your residence

Financial support may be granted to move your residence on the same lot or to another lot to ensure its long-term safety. The residence must be moved in the same or an adjoining municipality. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Departure allowance

The departure allowance covers your relocation in a new residence and the demolition of your damaged residence. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Transfer of the lot to the municipality

The lot may be transferred to the municipality upon relocation of the residence or receipt of a departure allowance. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

The total amount of financial support and indemnities that may be granted for damages to your residence and the access road, for mitigation measures and for ceding your land may not exceed $385,000.

Maximum financial support and successive floods

If the total amount of financial support and indemnities that may be granted reaches 50% of the new cost of your residence or a maximum of $162,500, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique will provide you with a departure allowance, financial support to move your residence, or financial support to flood-proof your residence.

If you have already received financial support and indemnities for your residence in conjunction with a flood that occurred after April 10, 2019, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique will add the sum already paid to the amount of your new application. If the sum of these two amounts reaches 50% of the new cost of your residence or a maximum of $162,500, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique will offer you a departure allowance, financial support to move your residence, or financial support to flood-proof your residence.

If you refuse these three options, you may be entitled to a sum to compensate for the damage to your residence.

Whatever you choose to do, your residence will become ineligible for financial support and compensation in the event of flooding in the future. However, you may be eligible for an indemnity for your temporary accommodation and supplies expenses (e.g., hotel room, restaurant) as well as for any temporary preventive measures you have put in place.

No financial support or indemnity will be granted if you have already received assistance to protect or move your residence, and this after April 10, 2019. However, you may be eligible for an indemnity for your temporary accommodation and supplies expenses (e.g., hotel room, restaurant) as well as for any temporary preventive measures you have put in place.

No financial support or indemnity will be granted if your residence was built after April 10, 2019 in a high-velocity zone (0 to 20-year recurrence area).

In the event of a disaster, numerous expenses are eligible for financial support and compensation.

Temporary preventive measures

You may receive an indemnity if you set up temporary preventive measures to avoid or limit damages to your principal residence and associated property.

Property owners may receive $230 per day from the first to the last day during which the measures are taken.

Tenants may receive $130 per day from the first to the last day during which the measures are taken.

When you complete your application for financial support and compensation, you must specify the tasks that you performed to protect your residence and property.

A maximum of $8,000 per dwelling or per residence can be granted. No supporting documents are required.

Examples:
Moving furniture to a higher floor, boarding up openings, building a dyke, digging a ditch, etc.

Temporary accommodations and supplies

You may receive $40 per day from the fourth to the 100^th day for each person evacuated. 

Example:
You must leave your home for reasons of public safety or to have work carried out.

Moving or storage

You may receive up to $2,500 to offset reasonable expenses incurred (invoices required). 

Example:
You move your furniture or store it elsewhere to carry out work following a disaster.

Eligible movable property

See the eligible movable property indemnities amounts that may be granted for each damaged item or item that is inaccessible following a disaster.

Examples:
Stove, oven, refrigerator, bedroom furniture, etc.

Emergency work and temporary work

If you carried out emergency work to avoid aggravating the damages to your principal residence and/or temporary work so that your principal residence would be habitable or functional while permanent work was being done, you may receive a financial support and/or an indemnity.

You may be eligible to a reimbursement equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred (bids and invoices are required) as well as an amount equal to the minimum wage for each reasonable hour worked.

Examples of emergency work:
Demolition, cleaning, disinfection, extermination, etc.

Examples of temporary work:
Temporarily restoring electricity, installing minimal insulation, boarding up openings, and performing work warranted for reasons of public safety.

Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique for eligible temporary work that is justified on the basis of public safety.

Damage to the residence and access road

For damage to your residence and access road, you may receive up to $385,000.

For damages to the residence, you may receive an indemnity equal to 100% of the value of the damages to equipment and other elements noted on the damage report.

Examples:
Finish work in damaged rooms, work on the residence’s shell, exterior siding, exterior doors and windows, and insulation.

In addition to theses indemnities, you will be entitled to financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for specialized or structural work, upon submission of bids and invoices.

Examples:
Repair of a damaged foundation, replacement or repair of a septic tank, an artesian well, a rubble or French drain, or an electric vehicle charging station.

If you can demonstrate, by way of two bids, that the cost of repairing fissures to the foundation or concrete slab is greater than the compensation amount provided for in the damage report, you will have the option of choosing either the indemnity or financial support equal to 90% of reasonable expenses incurred. 

For damage to an essential access road, you may be eligible to receive financial support equal to 90% of the reasonable expenses incurred for work to provide minimal and safe access to your home, upon presentation of bids and invoices.

Following the damage assessment, a municipality may refuse to issue a permit for repair or reconstruction if the damage is deemed too extensive. However, if the municipality has included costs for improvements in its total damage assessment, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique may refuse to consider the mandatory demolition permit.

Examples of improvement work:
Costs incurred for adding extra rooms or increasing the living space, expenses for flood-proofing work, etc.

Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Moving the residence

Financial support may be granted to move your residence on the same lot or to another lot to ensure its long-term safety. The residence must be moved in the same or an adjoining municipality. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Ground stabilization

You may receive financial support for the work and expenses stipulated in the report of an engineering firm to stabilize your lot. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Departure allowance

The departure allowance covers your relocation to a new residence and the demolition of your damaged residence. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

Transfer of the lot to the municipality

The lot may be transferred to the municipality upon relocation of the residence or receipt of a departure allowance. Consult the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to find out how much you may be eligible to receive.

The total amount of financial support and indemnities that may  be granted for damages to your residence and the access road, as well as for ceding your land, may not exceed $385,000.