Is it possible to raise a house out of a high risk flood zone

After Harvey a large number of homes were elevated in the Houston area. The cost will depend a great deal on the home -whether for example it is a pier and beam house or built on a slab and size & layout of home can affect price. Two companies in our area that have done alot of home elevations are P3 (https://p3elevation.com/ ) and Arkitectura https://arkdevinc.com/ . Contact me directly if you have more questions: Teri@TeriSmithTx.comhttps://p3elevation.com/home-elevation-house-reconstruction-videos/

Yes, you can raise your home out of the Flood Zone. I was employed with a city and worked with the municipality "Flood Plane Manager." All new residential construction was elevated above the flood plain using crawl space foundations that were hollow and floodable; this is important. The first step is to get an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor. The elevation certificate and survey will establish the base food elevation and finished floor height (FFH). Next, you will need a foundation company to raise your home and build a crawl space foundation (the county will not do this for you). Three feet above base flood elevation or (BFE) gives you the best flood insurance rate, although 2 feet may be the best value. (FFH) was rounded up to the next foot, so 1ft. 1in. = 2ft. so 2ft. 1in = 3 foot, check with your local food plane manager at the city you live in to verify all information before making a considerable investment.

Hi Robert!

Below are some resources to help you find the answer to your question. After you read over this material, you will definitely want to call the county you live in and ask them what the process is before taking the first step. Also, call your insurance company to find out if it's worth it. Whatever you do, it is recommended you continue to carry flood insurance! If your home is not at high risk of flooding your flood insurance might be cheaper and totally worth it for the peace of mind. However, if your elevated home is still located in an area deemed a high risk for flooding, the insurance may not be cheaper, even though your house is raised out of the flood plain. You will want to verify all of that before you take on the expense and headache of elevating your home.

FEMA-Change Your Flood Zone Designation
https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/change-your-flood-zone

How to Get a Home Rezoned Out of a Flood Plain
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/home-rezoned-out-flood-plain-6607.html