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- Frequently Asked Questions
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- How much do shelters
cost?
- Storm shelters start around $2,600. Larger
shelters cost more. Click here for prices.
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- What size
storm shelter do I need?
- FEMA recommends six square feet floor
space for each person in a tornado shelter and ten square feet
for a hurricane shelter. The recommended number of occupants
for storm shelters is below:
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| Shelter Floor Space Dimensions |
- Recommended occupancy as a tornado
shelter
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5' wide x 6' long |
5 people |
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6' wide x 8' long |
8 people |
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6' wide x 12' long |
12 people |
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8' wide x 12' long |
16 people |
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8' wide x 16' long |
21 people |
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8' wide x 20' long |
26 people |
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- How long does
it take to get a shelter?
- Lead times vary depending on the season.
Normal lead time is two to three weeks from the time of your
order until your shelter is installed. During the spring and
fall tornado seasons lead time may increase to four weeks. Expedited
orders are available. For example, the plant worked round the
clock overtime to produce shelters for MTV (Music Television)
in December 1999.
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- How long does
it take to install a shelter?
- A typical inground shelter installation
takes four to five hours to complete. Excavating hard rock extends
the time. Several installations have been completed as quickly
as three hours. Only two inground installations in the last four
years have taken longer than one day.
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- Do we really
need concrete poured around the shelter?
- Concrete is used during shelter installations
to anchor the shelter in to keep it from 'floating' out of the
ground in the event of saturated soil conditions. This will probably
never be an issue over 90% of the time -- but it is not worth
taking a chance. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
required shelters be anchored with concrete.
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- Do I need a building
permit to install a shelter?
- Some cities and towns require a building
permit. Contact your local Building Inspection or Code Enforcement
department to find out. Storm shelters are typically treated
as an accessory building for permitting purposes. Cities vary
in their permitting requirements.
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- How easy
is it to get a building permit?
- City building inspection departments are
accommodating and will walk you through the process. Getting
a permit involves completing a simple building permit application,
providing two copies of your property plot plan (or survey) with
the shelter location designated on the drawing and engineering
drawings of the shelter (which we will provide to the city).
Some cities require the contractor to obtain the permit. We will
work to make your experience as pleasant as possible.
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- Who should I
call to locate below ground utilities?
- In Texas call 1-800-344-8377 (800-DIG-TESS)
for buried gas, electricity and telephone cables. This is a free
service and is usually complete in two business days. Call your
local city government to locate water and sewer lines.
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- Will a cell phone
work inside the shelter?
- Usually yes.
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- Can I have a
contractor of my choosing install my shelter?
- Yes, we will gladly discuss the installation
procedures with your contractor and provide written installation
instructions for your contractor's reference.
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- Are BuiltSafe
Storm Shelters endorsed by FEMA?
- FEMA does not endorse shelters of any
kind. Shelter guidelines and specifications are established by
the National Storm Shelter Association.
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- Will a storm
shelter add to the value of my home?
- We believe so. A storm shelter is to benefit
you while you live in your home. It may make selling your home
easier.
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- Have any BuiltSafe,
The Refuge or ArmoredGuard Shelters been through a tornado?
- Yes, this year during the early May tornado
outbreaks. We don't have details yet. A family in Midwest City,
Oklahoma credit their survival to being in a shelter which they
purchased from us. More details to follow...
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- What about
lightning and metal shelters?
- The following is from the National Storm
Shelter Association Association Standard for the Design, Construction,
and Performance of Storm Shelters.
Concerns over safety in lightning storms for occupants of storm
shelters have led to searches for applicable science or expert
opinion. Little published information has been found that addresses
directly the shelter safety issue. The advice of engineers and
scientists with extensive research experience in
lightning safety is reflected in this Standard. Some evidence
has been provided by experts on the subject of metal structures
indicating that metal enclosures shield the interior from the
effects of outside sources of electricity. The public intuitively
acknowledges this principle when driving automobiles during thunderstorms.
The “metal box” represented by a conventional car or
van yields a skin effect that becomes the conductor and protects
the occupants. More in-depth understanding can be obtained from
the Boston Museum of Science,
(http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/cage.html).
Dr. Michael F. Stringfellow, Chief Scientist, PowerCET Corporation,
states, “Metal structures are selfprotecting
and rarely a lightning hazard for the occupants. Even thin metal
can safely conduct lightning currents without needing lightning
rods or down conductors.”
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- BG (ret.) Claude B. Donovan, project officer
for development of the Army’s Bradley fighting vehicle,
points out that “… tanks and armored vehicles get hit
by lightening all the time, and in many cases they are uploaded
with their basic loads of ammunition, pyrotechnics, and fuel.
There isn’t even a conscious April 2001 effort to make the
ammo or packing materials conductors or insulators, so grounding
must not be a big factor.”
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