Guides
Storm-ready scheduling: weather contingency clauses for US videography shoots
How US videography contracts handle storm delays: trigger definitions, deposit rollovers, kill fees and rain date windows that keep outdoor shoots bookable.
What to take away
- A working videography shoot weather clause names one trigger, one call deadline, and one deposit outcome.
- NOAA runs the Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 through November 30, so outdoor work booked in that window needs a reserved rain date.
- Tropical storm watches are issued about 48 hours before 39 mph winds arrive, and warnings about 36 hours before, which sets the practical clock.
- Deposits are generally taxable when received, so every rollover and refund needs a paper trail.
Why a nationwide weather clause beats a local habit
Most videographers write weather language after the first rained-out shoot. The result is one vague sentence about acts of God. That sentence fails the moment a client has paid a deposit and hired talent.
One vague clause vs three events
Vague act-of-God sentence
- Notice window
- Unstated
- Money outcome
- Unclear
- Rental truck
- Unaddressed
- Second-day crew
- Unaddressed
- Usable at 5 a.m.
- No
Delay / reschedule / cancellation
- Notice window
- One per event
- Money outcome
- One per event
- Rental truck
- Assigned
- Second-day crew
- Assigned
- Usable at 5 a.m.
- Yes
A force majeure clause is the standard fallback when wind, lightning or flooding stops production. General definitions list natural disasters, but they rarely say who pays for the rental truck or the second-day crew.
Split the risk into three separate events instead: a delay, a reschedule, and a cancellation. Each one gets its own notice window and its own money outcome. That separation is what makes the clause usable on a set at 5 a.m.
Triggers that start the clock
Name the trigger before you name the remedy. A clause that says "bad weather" invites argument. A clause that names a National Weather Service lightning alert within 10 miles of set does not.
Storm trigger lead times
- 48 hoursTropical storm watch, 39 mph winds
- 36 hoursTropical storm warning
- 48 hoursHurricane watch
- 36 hoursHurricane warning
- 30 secondsFlash-to-thunder gap stops set
- 30 minutesWait after last thunder
The National Hurricane Center issues a tropical storm watch about 48 hours before the onset of 39 mph winds, and a tropical storm warning about 36 hours out. Hurricane watches and warnings use the same 48 and 36 hour lead times.
For ordinary summer storms, many crews follow the 30-30 rule. When the gap between flash and thunder is 30 seconds or less, the set stops, and work resumes 30 minutes after the last thunder.
Shoots in the Southeast need more than a generic trigger, so Florida hurricane season planning covers county evacuation zones and the June 1 window in detail.
How deposits and kill fees move
IRS Publication 535 explains that advance payments are generally income when received, which means a deposit in your account is already revenue. Refunding it later changes your books, not just your bank balance. Write the outcome into the contract before the shoot.
Deposit decision sequence
- Confirm trigger in writing with NWS screenshot
- Notify client at contract deadline and channel
- Offer the rain date already reserved
- Record rollover, refund or kill fee on invoice
A kill fee is usually the deposit itself when a client cancels on a clear day. When the vendor cancels for weather, the deposit rolls to the rain date at no extra charge.
Example rescheduling matrix for one shoot day
Example rescheduling matrix
| Trigger | Call deadline | Deposit outcome | Rain date window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning within 10 miles | 1 hour before call time | Full rollover | 14 days |
| Tropical storm watch | 48 hours before call time | Full rollover, no rebooking fee | 30 days |
| Hurricane warning or evacuation order | 36 hours before call time | Refund or full credit | 60 days |
| Client cancels on a clear day | 48 hours before call time | Retained as kill fee | New deposit required |
These windows are a starting point. Set them to match your own crew, venue and equipment commitments, then keep the same numbers for every client.
Insurance, riders and what policies pay
General liability, described in business insurance basics, rarely pays for a rained-out day. It answers injury and property claims, not lost shooting time.
Adverse weather cover is a separate policy or an endorsement on a production package. It pays a set daily amount when rain, snow or wind crosses a threshold you choose. Premiums track the insured day value, and deductibles are often measured in hours.
Review the clause against this list before the next outdoor booking:
- Named trigger with a published source.
- Call deadline stated in hours before call time.
- Rain date reserved in the contract, not promised by text.
- Deposit outcome for every trigger.
- Drone wind limit written into the shot list.
A short clause covers most single-day work:
"If a named storm warning is active within 36 hours of call time, either party may move the shoot to the reserved rain date at no additional cost."
