Information and downloads on how to build a Safe Room in your home or Small Business. A lot these are PDF files, so you need a PDF reader.
Download Document 320 about halfway down the page. (8MB)
- Pictures showing how a DIY Safe Room can be built.
Q: What is the cost of installing a safe room in a new home or small business?
A. Costs for construction of both vary across the United States. The cost for constructing a safe room which can double as a master closet, bathroom, or utility room, inside a new home or small business can range from approximately $6,500 to $8,500. This cost range is applicable to the basic designs in FEMA 320 that provide an 8-foot by 8-foot safe room (approximately 64 square feet of protected space), Larger, more refined designs for greater comfort will cost more, with 14‑foot by 14-foot safe rooms ranging in cost from approximately $11,500 to $13,500. The cost of the safe room can vary significantly depending on the following factors:
Q: Can I install a safe room in an existing home?
A: Installing a safe room in an existing home or small business is typically more expensive and challenging than in a new home. Modifying the walls or foundation of an existing building for the construction of a safe room is more complicated than constructing those elements new, and as a result, some of the prescriptive safe room designs provided in FEMA 320 are not practical for some existing homes. Typically, installing a safe room in an existing home costs 20 percent more than installing the same safe room in a new home under construction. Due to the technical challenges involved in retrofitting an existing home for a safe room, an architect or engineer should be consulted to address the structural issues and the debris protection criteria, even when not required by the local building department. As such, homeowners must balance the desire to have protection within their home with practicality of constructing a safe room outside the footprint of their existing home or structure for less money.
Q: Can a homeowner build the safe room on their own?
A: A homeowner who builds a safe room should be skilled in building construction. Some pre-fabricated safe rooms are available that require less building construction experience to successfully install. In purchasing any safe room, the homeowner should obtain documentation that it meets the FEMA safe room design and protection criteria.
The National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA) is a non-profit organization with a quality verification and seal program. Members of the NSSA that manufacture and construct residential safe rooms submit their designs to the NSSA for third-party design reviews to ensure verification of compliance with FEMA 320 criteria. This organization is also helpful in validating vendor claims of compliance with FEMA criteria for safe rooms. Their Web site (
http://www.nssa.cc) is a good place to find verified safe room vendors.
Q: Where is the best location for the safe room?
A: There are several possible locations in or near your home or small business for a safe room. The most convenient location in most homes is in the basement. If there is no basement within the home, or if the walls of the basement do not meet FEMA 320 design criteria, an in-ground safe room can be installed beneath a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or concrete garage floor. In-ground and basement safe rooms provide the highest level of protection against missiles and falling debris because they are typically shielded from direct forces of wind and debris; however, above-ground designs, such as the prescriptive designs provided in FEMA 320, or any solution following the criteria set forth in FEMA 361 will provide near-absolute protection.
Many individuals prefer to remain within their homes or building so they are afforded some level of protection while attempting to access their safe room. For an existing home or small business, this convenience must be balanced with the challenges of retrofitting the building. For more information on the selecting the location of a safe room within your home or small business, see FEMA 320, Section II, page 27.
Q: Where can I find additional information and plans for safe room construction?
A: You can order FEMA’s publication 320, Taking Shelter From the Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your Home or Small Business, and the accompanying construction plans and specifications, by calling 1-800-480-2520. You can also visit the FEMA Safe Room website at
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/shplans/. For additional information on safe rooms and design criteria, you may also want to obtain FEMA 361, Design and Construction Guidance of Community Safe Rooms. Chapter 3 of the 2008 edition of this publication contains the design criteria for both residential and community safe rooms.
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