Frequently Asked Questions

Definitely. In fact, Extreme Storm Shelters obtains thousands of permits each year. We can help you find out if you’ll need a permit from your local inspection agency. If so, Extreme will be happy to guide you through the process.

Yes. Extreme Storm Shelters will deliver our units to any location within 50 miles of one of our distribution centers at no extra cost when you opt to have us install the shelter. Beyond this 50-mile radius, Extreme charges $2.30 per loaded mile.

You can purchase a storm shelter from Extreme with or without installation. Our experts have years of experience in proper shelter installation. If you choose to engage a third party to perform your shelter’s installation, please know that it is your sole responsibility to ensure that this installer does the work correctly according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

At Extreme Storm Shelters, we believe that the best time to purchase a tornado shelter is today! Although tornado season peaks in the spring, the truth is that tornadoes can strike on any day of the year. Don’t wait until severe weather is bearing down on you to make this critical, potentially life-saving decision. Between the months of September and February, shelter providers experience a slower season, which makes this an ideal time to plan for the future.

Extreme can install our storm shelters in almost any location. We have a range of different models. Some are ideal for basements, others for garages, while still others can be placed outside, above or below ground. If you aren’t sure about the best solution for you, Extreme Storm Shelters will be happy to advise you.

Extreme Storm Shelters has prepared for this possibility. That’s why we include our proprietary GeoLocator Service with every shelter we sell. If a severe weather event strikes your area, we will attempt to reach you from our call center to ensure that you were able to safely get to your storm shelter. If we are not able to communicate with you or your emergency contacts, we will contact emergency crews and give them the exact GPS coordinates of your shelter so they can find you and provide any necessary assistance.

The strongest tornadoes have winds that can exceed 250 mph. These twisters can demolish houses in seconds. Flying debris from tornadoes has been known to puncture wooden beams more than eight inches thick. The safest severe weather solution for your family is a dedicated storm shelter. Extreme Storm Shelters’ residential storm shelters have been tested to withstand the wind forces of an EF5 tornado. And all of our shelters are made to be compliant with FEMA 320 standards.

Not at all. Extreme Storm Shelters can normally install an underground storm shelter within a single day. And in most cases, we can install an above ground shelter in around four hours.

Absolutely not! The professionals at Extreme Storm Shelters will thoroughly clean up the installation area once their work is complete. We aim for 100% customer satisfaction in everything we do from start to finish.

Yes. Extreme Storm Shelters installs our ExtremeGarage shelter units 2 feet from the edge of your garage. This will ensure that you have sufficient room to access your shelter.

Yes, Extreme does require a $500 deposit when you place your order. This will guarantee you a position in our delivery queue. If you order your storm shelter through Lowe’s, they will require you to make a full payment at the time of your order. Consult Lowe’s to learn more about their financing options.

There are many reasons to make Extreme your storm shelter provider. First of all, Extreme is the only brand Lowe’s counts on to give their customers protection from severe weather. Secondly, multiple Fortune 500 companies have trusted the manufacturers at Extreme for years. We are properly bonded, licensed, and insured. Most of all, we will be there for you to give you personalized service and to make sure that you get the best severe weather protection for your family.

Extreme Storm Shelters stands by the superior design and craftsmanship of our ExtremeGarage shelter. Here are just a few of the benefits of this model: 1) We encase each ExtremeGarage unit in 5 inches of concrete during installation to mitigate against floating; 2) The ExtremeGarage model has an oversized door for a more aesthetically-pleasing look; 3) Removable steel benches and steps come standard with this model, as do a storage locker and winch; 4) This unit is made with the prevention of galvanic corrosion in mind; 5) The ExtremeGarage has the strongest lid in the storm shelter industry; and 6) Every ExtremeGarage includes our trusted StormRespond Service.

Extreme Storm Shelters has models in more than 140 Lowe’s stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. See the map and list of locations on our website to learn more.

We’re glad you asked! Our company has produced thousands of shelters for both residential and commercial clients. When it comes to installation, we have successfully managed projects in the range of several million dollars. Yet we’re still proud to provide personalized customer service to all of our clients, no matter the size of the job. Experience counts. Trust Extreme Storm Shelters.

Condensation is always a possibility with underground shelters especially in humid climates. With this in mind, all shelters from Extreme Storm Shelters incorporate a cross ventilation design and come standard with a free moisture remediation kit.

There are several ways to deal with the issue of condensation in underground storm shelters. One way is to circulate air throughout the unit. You can also use a dehumidifier or a moisture remediation kit (included with the purchase of any underground shelter from Extreme Storm Shelters).

Absolutely! All of Extreme’s residential storm shelters are FEMA 320 compliant.

Yes, all of Extreme’s storm shelters are ICC 500 compliant.

Yes! In fact, all of Extreme’s shelters have undergone extensive testing. They have withstood EF5-level winds (speeds greater than 200 mph) produced at Texas Tech’s National Wind Institute.

Absolutely. Extreme Storm Shelters believes in testing our units thoroughly to ensure that they will hold up when you need them the most, even during the strongest tornadoes. We are proud to be a member of the National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA). No shelter manufactured by a member of the NSSA has ever failed during a tornado.

At Extreme, we bury our underground storm shelters 12 inches below the surface of the ground.

It is certainly possible for you to install your own storm shelter. There are many online resources that can help you to do this. You could also engage the services of a third-party installer. That said, if you enlist the professional installers from Extreme Storm Shelters to perform the installation for you, then you’ll be 100% certain that your shelter has been properly placed.

Extreme Storm Shelters offers a limited lifetime warranty on all of our shelter units.

At Extreme Storm Shelters, we design all of our steel shelters based on a proprietary leak test to guarantee that none of our units will ever leak. Concrete, on the other hand, will always crack and leak eventually, and concrete retains moisture even under normal circumstances.

Steel storm shelters are superior to fiberglass shelters in a number of ways. Most of all, steel storm shelters are stronger. Fiberglass shelters cannot withstand EF5-level winds, so there are no above ground fiberglass shelter units. Even underground fiberglass shelters will eventually crack due to the pressures of their subterranean placement.

At Extreme Storm Shelters, we chemically treat all of our units to prevent them from rusting. We are the only storm shelter manufacturer to powder coat all of our above ground models and the interior of our underground models. Powder coating creates a more durable finish than regular paint, making it the better choice for protecting your shelter. Extreme also caulks our underground shelters and coats them with 15 mils of coal tar epoxy. We then seal all of the joints. The result is the same as if the shelter was dipped in rubber. You can count on Extreme Storm Shelters’ units not to leak or rust, above or below ground.

An Extreme Storm Shelter unit is actually a very safe place to be during a lightning storm. You cannot be electrocuted in one of our storm shelters, even if it is struck by lightning. The reason for this is that the steel shelter basically acts as a Faraday Cage (this type of enclosure is named after its inventor, Michael Faraday). If your unit is struck by lightning, the charge is distributed throughout the exterior, leaving the interior shielded from the charge. You can see this same principle in effect in the metal suits (the Faraday Suits) that linemen wear to protect themselves when working on high-voltage electrical lines. The bottom line: You will be safe from lightning strikes inside an Extreme storm shelter.

Yes. Extreme’s storm shelters are ADA accessible and come with a 32-inch door opening to accommodate individuals with disabilities.

Extreme Storm Shelters has planned for the very real possibility of debris covering our units and blocking shelter doors after violent storms. That’s why we have designed some of our units to have doors that swing inward instead of outward. For other units, we offer the option to install a jack to help open the unit’s door in case it gets blocked by debris. As an additional safety measure, Extreme also provides our StormRespod Service with every shelter we sell.

Yes, your cell phone will function inside an Extreme storm shelter. However, please be advised that tornadoes may destroy cell phone towers in your area, which would likely adversely affect your service.

Nearly all of Extreme Storm Shelters’ units have a 3/4-inch conduit entrance to accommodate power, cable, and phone connections. The only exception is the ExtremeGarage unit, which is fully embedded in concrete in the floor of a garage bay.

You can purchase an Extreme storm shelter to protect your family at home or the workers at your small business at Lowe’s locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

Both the ExtremePod and the ExtremeCube models can be placed in most garages, carports, or patios. For customers serviced from one of Extreme’s more than 140 Lowe’s locations, we can provide a complimentary site visit to verify that your concrete will meet specifications. If it does not, we can pour a proper concrete pad for an additional fee.

At Extreme, we equip all of our tornado shelters with a 3-point locking system. This means that even if one of your door’s locks is compromised, there will be two backups in place to keep the door secured.

Extreme wants to make sure that our shelters are accessible and affordable for as many people as possible. To make this happen, we have partnered with several banks and credit unions to help provide a range of financing solutions. Additional storm shelter financing options are also available through Lowe’s locations.

Extreme strives to help all of our customers get the shelter financing they need to protect themselves and their families.

Extreme Storm Shelters is headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia. Our skilled craftsmen work here and also in our satellite factory locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. You can purchase Extreme’s storm shelters at more than 140 Lowe’s locations. We also keep our shelters in stock for immediate delivery throughout Tornado Alley and Dixie Alley.

Extreme’s shelter occupancy numbers are based on our compliance with FEMA 320 and ICC 500 guidelines. According to these specifications, each occupant should have 3 square feet of space in any storm shelter.

Yes! If you move, Extreme Storm Shelters’ factory installation team can re-install your shelter, for a fee, at your new location.

In most instances, yes. Home appraisers will generally assign additional value to homes with shelters in areas that are especially prone to tornadoes. And homes that have shelters may also be more marketable overall. For instance, a home with a shelter will often sell more quickly than a comparable one without a shelter.

Extreme Storm Shelters is proud to be a member of the NSSA. The NSSA is the National Storm Shelter Association. It is a member-directed organization made up of the nation’s leading tornado shelter manufacturers that concerns itself primarily with promoting the production of tornado shelters of the highest quality possible. Members of the NSSA hold themselves to the most stringent engineering and ethical standards and submit their shelters to peer review from other engineers. No shelter manufactured by an NSSA member has ever failed, even during an EF5 tornado event.

Yes, you can lock an Extreme Storm Shelter unit from the outside. This is essential, as you may wish to store valuables inside your shelter. In addition, the exterior lock operates independently of the inside lever, ensuring that you cannot accidentally lock yourself inside the shelter with no means of escape.

Most Extreme storm shelters come equipped with a bench that houses a lockable storage compartment. This is a great place to keep emergency supplies and other important items. We advise you, at a minimum, to keep the following in your storm shelter: a flashlight, a NOAA weather radio, extra batteries, water, MREs, a first-aid kit with any extra medicines, a horn, necessary insurance documents, and backup copies of any personal mementos such as photos or videos.

Extreme Storm Shelters strives to provide you with the best shelter solution to meet your particular needs. Our shelters range in occupancy from the ExtremePod unit, which can protect up to 4 people, all the way up to the ExtremePanel 6 x 8 and the ExtremeCube 6 x 8 units, each of which can protect up to 16 people.

Yes. All of Extreme’s storm shelters meet or exceed FEMA 320 and ICC 500 requirements regarding vents. These guidelines state that all tornado shelters have at least 4 square inches of venting per occupant.

All of Extreme Storm Shelters’ models have been designed and tested to withstand the winds from an EF5 tornado. The steel gauge for each unit depends upon its shape and where it will be installed. Our steel thicknesses range between 10 gauge, 3/16 inches, and 1/4 inches.

They are both equally strong! At Extreme Storm Shelters, we engineer all of our units–both our above ground and our underground models–to withstand the winds from an EF5 tornado. We want you to pick the model that will best suit your individual needs. If you aren’t sure which shelter will do that, just ask us! We’re always happy to help you find the best way to keep your family safe.