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Foundation raising in Portsmouth VA - a house set higher above flood water

Flood water creeping toward your floor? We lift the house and set it on a new, higher foundation, with a plan for each step.

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Stamped concrete driveway with a gray rectangular pattern beside a brick house and parked SUV.

Should I raise my house in Portsmouth, and what's involved?

Foundation raising in Portsmouth lifts your house off the foundation it sits on now and sets it on a higher one, such as new piers, columns or pilings, so the floor sits above the flood zone. It's a project of several weeks, not days, so it pays to plan well ahead.

Most people who call us about this live on a low lot and have watched the water come closer to the floor with each storm and high tide. Measurements at Portsmouth show the water rising against the land over a long record, from the 1930s into the 2000s, and on many lots the city's flood rules decide how high the floor has to go. That's why I look at the house and the rules together.

The price and the schedule turn mostly on what your house sits on now, how high it has to go and whether it needs new piers, plus the permit, any repairs we find, the weather and the inspections. I'll go over each of those with you when I come out, and the estimate gives you a figure for your own house. We're based in Portsmouth and work across the cities around it.

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What happens after you call about raising your house?

  1. Call or send the form

    Please call (757) 731-7248 or use the form below and tell us a little about the house and what the water has been doing. We'll set a time for me to come see it.

  2. I look over your house

    I come out myself, look at the foundation the house sits on now, ask how you use the house and check what the city asks for on your lot. You get an estimate for the job, and we start planning where you'll stay while the house is lifted.

  3. We handle permits and the lift

    If you go ahead, I run the job with our own crew and take care of the permits and inspections. Once the house is set down on its new foundation, I walk the finished work with you and answer anything still on your mind.

How foundation raising in Portsmouth is done right

A house can be raised whether it sits on continuous foundation walls, on piers, posts or pilings, or on fill, and the work usually starts with steel beams slid under the floor so jacks can lift it evenly. A crawl space or pier-and-beam house is simpler, because there's room to get the beams in with less digging. A slab-on-grade house takes more engineering and labor, since the slab is either lifted with the house or separated from it, which can mean concrete cutting.

While the house is up, the new piers, columns or pilings go in at the height the city gives us, and the ground under them gets the same care I'd give any footing before a drop of concrete is poured. Our equipment has to reach the house, so we plan its route across your yard, and if your old drive is past saving, it's a sensible time to talk about a new concrete driveway.

What raising a house can include:

  • Crawl space and pier-and-beam homes
  • Slab-on-grade homes
  • New piers, columns or pilings
  • Lifts above the flood zone

Foundation repair or foundation raising for your house

If the foundation is only cracked or settled and water isn't reaching the house, a repair may be all it needs, and it costs far less than a lift. If floodwater keeps coming close, raising the house deals with the water itself instead of the damage it leaves behind, and that's the side I'd usually take. A large repair can also bring the city's flood height rule into play, covered in the questions below, so please let me weigh both with you before you spend money on either.

What shapes the cost of foundation raising

The biggest question is what the house sits on now, since a crawl space or pier-and-beam house usually costs less to raise than a slab, for the reasons above. Next is whether we're only lifting the structure or also building new piers, columns or pilings to get it above the flood zone, which costs more. How high it goes, any repairs we find once the house is up and how easily our equipment can reach it all add to the total, and I'll walk you through each line of the estimate.

Clear answers before your house moves

I learned concrete on a municipal crew, where every sidewalk and curb had to meet the city's standard and residents rightly asked what we were doing in front of their homes. I've run Advantage Portsmouth Concrete the same way since 2013, and I'll explain each part of your job, including the parts nobody sees once the house is back down. I'd rather explain something twice than have you surprised later.

We plan where our equipment goes, keep the site tidy and tell you about each step before it happens, because you're trusting us with your home and your time. Thank you for considering us. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.

Call about raising your Portsmouth house

We take calls every day of the week, so please call and we can talk through your foundation and the city's flood rules before anything is lifted.

(757) 731-7248

Get an estimate for raising your house

Please share your address, what the house sits on and your flood zone if you know it. We reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free estimate, no obligation.

(757) 731-7248

Questions about raising a house

How much does it cost to raise a house in Portsmouth, VA?

Across the US, raising a house above the flood zone onto new piers, columns or pilings usually costs about $20,000 to $80,000 per job. That's a national range and not our price, and where your house falls in it depends mostly on the foundation and how high it has to go. I'll give you a figure for your own house when I come out for the estimate.

How long does it take to raise a house, and can I stay home during the lift?

One cost guide puts the full process at about 4 to 8 weeks on average, with the lift itself taking 2 to 7 days once the preparation is done. The same guide says staying inside during the lift isn't recommended, though your furniture and belongings can stay right where they are. That's why we help you plan a place to stay before the lift is scheduled.

Do I need a permit to raise my house in Portsmouth?

Check with the city before any work starts. Portsmouth requires a building permit to build or alter a structure, and its permit list names foundation repairs but doesn't name house raising, so the Building Inspection Division is the office to ask. Whoever pulls the permit answers for all the work under it and schedules the inspections, which is why the city highly recommends the contractor pull it, and we do that ourselves.

How high does my floor have to be in Portsmouth's AE flood zone?

Under the city's flood rule, the lowest floor, basement included, can be no lower than the base flood elevation, the flood height mapped for your lot, plus one and a half feet. The rule covers new homes and substantial improvement of any home in the AE zone. Please confirm the current figure with the city before you settle on a height, and we'll plan the lift to the figure it gives you.

How do I know if Portsmouth's flood height rule applies to my house?

It applies when your work counts as substantial improvement, which the city defines as work costing 50 percent or more of the home's market value before the work starts. The term also covers homes that have already taken substantial damage. If your project is anywhere near that line, I'd rather we settle it with the city at the start than find out halfway through.

What license does a contractor need to raise a house in Virginia?

The contractor needs a Virginia license whose class fits the size of the contract, and the city confirms that license through the state's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. A Class C license covers a single contract over $1,000 and under $30,000, and a Class B license covers one of $30,000 or more but under $150,000. We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over the paperwork with you when I visit.

Serving Portsmouth and the cities around it

We're based in Portsmouth and also work in Norfolk, Chesapeake and many other cities nearby. Please choose your area below, or call us if yours isn't listed.

Call (757) 731-7248