House Raising New Jersey

House Raising - Flood Prevention for the New Jersey Shore and Long Beach Island

House-raising is a lengthy process that involves separating a house from its foundation and temporarily raising it with hydraulic jacks. The process is similar but distinct from house-moving, in which a house is transported some distance to a different location or just moved 20 to 50 feet to allow pilings driven and house moved back and placed on pilings. Houses can also be raised in place and add concrete CMU blocks.

Homeowners raise their houses for the following most important reason: To ensure it will be above the Base Flood Elevation and protected from future flood damage. Flood protection can be added after a home is built only by house-raising. Houses that get salt water are subject to mold growth, and the situation can be permanently remedied by raising the house above the last known highest water table. This move can also lower flood insurance rates or ensure compliance with building codes. For homes located in special flood hazard zones such as Long Beach Island and surround communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) states that homeowners must either elevate the lowest floor above the flood-protection elevation or move or flood-proof their building.

House-raising is a hefty undertaking, as the utilities must be disconnected and reconnected, truckloads of dirt must be excavated, and concrete walls need to be poured or piling to be driven. The actual lifting of the structure involves long, steel I-beams and hydraulic jacks. It’s possible to lift a house rapidly, although, in certain situations, such as to avoid damage to drywall, the building might be lifted as little as 2’ per day. After being raised, the building is held in place by support cribs for however long is necessary to complete the project.

Additional Considerations for the Homeowner for house raising procedures in New Jersey

The condition of the foundation must be carefully assessed. If it’s cracked, it might need to be fixed before the house can be raised. Heritage Construction handles and inspects for the homeowners before the process begins but an engineer is still required.
Anticipate and plan around the impact that the house-raising will have on the neighborhood. Street parking might be temporarily blocked while the house is being raised. Heritage Construction handles all of this on behalf of the homeowners.
Height restrictions are handles by Heritage Construction and an engineer.
Building permits are required.
In summary, house-raising is an intensive process performed for a variety of structural, safety, flood and aesthetic purposes and needs to be done by a professional company such as Heritage Construction Enterprises Corp. Call today for a free estimate (609) 494-3999