Raising

Your Home

One way to protect a home from flooding is to elevate it to a specified Flood Protection Elevation (FPE). This means raising the living space high enough to avoid damage from all but the most extreme flood events. There are several techniques available to elevate a home, and the right method will depend on the structure, location, and flood risk.

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Photo courtesy of New-Times.

ELEVATING A HOUSE: WHAT TO KNOW

Elevating a home raises the home’s living space above potential flood levels. There are two main ways to do this:

(1) Lift the entire house and build a new foundation underneath it, or add to the existing foundation to support the raised structure.

(2) Keep the house at its current elevation and raise the floor inside, or add a new upper story.

The best approach depends on several factors, including:

  • How much elevation is needed to reduce flood risk

  • The condition and design of the building

  • Available contractors

  • Overall cost.

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Simplified diagram of an elevated house with flood openings.

Simplified diagram of an elevated house with flood openings. Source: FEMA

General Steps in Home Elevation Techniques

  • For houses on basement foundations or crawlspace foundations:

    1. Evaluate the existing foundation to determine whether it will support the elevated house

    2. Obtain necessary permits

    3. Turn off utility services and disconnect utility lines

    4. Excavate around the foundation as necessary to install lifting beams and, if required, to strengthen the foundation

    5. Cut holes in the foundation and house walls as necessary to install the network of lifting beams

    6. Raise house with jacks

    7. Extend foundation walls to desired height and install wall openings to allow flood waters to enter

    8. Lower house onto extended foundation walls, reconnect utility lines, and restore utility services

    1. Evaluate the existing foundation to determine whether it will support the elevated house

    2. Obtain necessary permits

    3. Turn off utility services and disconnect utility lines

    4. Excavate around the foundation as necessary to install lifting beams and, if required, to strengthen the foundation

    5. Cut holes in foundation and house walls as necessary to install the network of lifting beams

    6. Rase house with jacks

    7. Build piers on existing or modified foundation; extend piers to desired height

    8. Lower house onto piers, reconnect utility lines, and restore utility services

    1. Obtain necessary permits

    2. Turn off utility services and disconnect utility lines

    3. Excavate around the foundation and cut holes in the foundation and house walls as necessary to install the network of lifting beams

    4. Raise house with jacks

    5. Demolish and remove existing foundation; install posts or columns with concrete pads or encasements

    6. Lower house onto posts or columns

    1. Obtain necessary permits

    2. Turn off utility services and disconnect utility lines

    3. Excavate around the foundation and cut holes in the foundation and house walls as necessary to install the network of lifting beams

    4. Raise house with jacks and move it offsite to a temporary location

    5. Demolish and remove existing foundation; install the pilings

    6. Move the house back to the site and lower it onto the pilings

    7. Reconnect utility lines and restore utility services

  • For masonry houses built on slab-on-grade foundations, the steps are:

    1. Evaluate the existing foundation to determine whether it will support the elevated house

    2. Obtain necessary permits

    3. Turn off utility services and disconnect utility lines

    4. If necessary, strengthen the existing foundation

    5. Remove the roof and framing

    6. Extend the walls to the desired height and replace the roof framing and the roof

    7. Construct a new lowest floor at the desired elevation

    8. Install wall openings of the abandoned first floor to allow flood waters to enter

    9. Reconnect utility lines and restore utility services

    1. Evaluate the existing foundation to determine whether it will support the elevated house

    2. Obtain necessary permits

    3. Turn off utility services and disconnect utility lines

    4. If necessary, strengthen the existing foundation

    5. Remove the roof and framing

    6. Build a new second story (wood-frame, metal-frame, or masonry)

    7. Replace the roof framing and the roof

    8. Install wall openings in the walls of the abandoned first floor to allow flood waters to enter.

    9. Reconnect utility lines and restore utility services.