Foundation raising in Lafayette, LA - a house sitting higher above flood water
If high water has crept close to your floors, we lift the house onto a new, taller foundation so it sits higher next time.
What does it take to raise a house in Lafayette?
Foundation raising in Lafayette lifts your house off its foundation, or from underneath it, and sets it at a new, higher elevation, which Louisiana's rule calls house raising. Building higher gives your home better protection from flood depths that may grow in the years ahead.
Most people who call me about this have watched water come up the yard or into the house, and they want the floors set higher. The price moves with the size of the house, whether it sits on piers or a slab, whether the slab comes up with it, how high you go and how much of the work is in the contract, and a full new foundation costs more than working with what's there. The schedule turns mostly on the engineer's review and the permit, since both come before anything is lifted, and the estimate puts the figure for your own house in writing.
What happens when you call us about raising your house?
Call and I come out
When you call or send the form, we set a time for me to come out and see the house. I check whether it sits on piers or a slab, ask how you use the ground floor and look at where the water goes when it rains.
You get a written estimate
The estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you know exactly what you're paying for. That also lets you line it up against other quotes item by item, since quotes for this work differ with how much of the job they cover.
We check the permit first
Before anything is scheduled, we check with the permit office for your address, which in the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish is the Development & Planning Department. When a permit is needed, we take care of the application and keep you informed.
Our crew does the work
On the work days our crew lead runs the job with our crew. I come by to check the work and answer any questions you have along the way.
How our foundation raising works, and the concrete that goes with it
We begin every raise by learning whether your house sits on piers or a slab and having an engineer review what will carry the load, because a slab lift counts on the slab and the pilings under it taking the weight and the added wind load of the taller foundation, and sometimes they need work before lifting can start. Then I sit down with you about how high you'd like to go and whether the slab comes up with the house. Our crew builds the new foundation to the engineer's plan, the house is lifted and set on it, and we clean up before we leave. If the budget gets tight, the foundation is the last place I'll cut, because once the house is back down nobody sees it, and it's what holds your home up for every year after.
A raise usually touches the concrete around the house too. Steps, a stoop or a walk poured tight against the house can be freed with concrete cutting so the lift doesn't break what stays, and once the house sits higher, the old drive may meet it at the wrong height, which is when owners have us pour a new one through our concrete driveway building work, sloped to carry water away.
Ask for a written estimate on raising your house
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, and the on-site estimate is free and comes with no obligation. It helps to include your address, the size of the house and whether it sits on piers or a slab. Thank you for thinking of us.
Questions about raising a house in Lafayette
How much does it cost to raise a house in Lafayette, LA?
Raising a typical single-family home usually runs about $20,000 to $80,000 per job across the US, and that's the market's range, not a quote from us. Floor area sets where a house falls in that band, and quotes differ with how much of the work is in the contract, so I'll come out and write an estimate for your own house.
Is a house on piers easier to raise than a slab house?
Yes, a house on piers or posts is usually easier to raise, because the points that carry its weight can be reached from above the ground. Most often the floor, walls and roof come up together and are set on a new foundation, while a slab house takes more planning, which is why the engineer's review comes first.
What is the best way to raise a slab house?
There isn't one best way, and the right one depends on your house and on what the engineer finds. The slab, walls and roof can come up together, or the walls and roof can be lifted with the slab left on the ground, and another route takes off the roof, adds a second story as the new first floor and puts the roof back on. I go over each choice with you, because they change what you keep and what you pay.
Do I have to move my furniture out to raise my house?
Not if the house comes up with its slab, because it stays sealed and your furniture and belongings stay right where they are. Lifting the house off the slab means emptying it, and you lose things fixed to the slab, like tile floors, so this is one of the first things we decide together.
How do I decide how high to raise my house in Lafayette?
Start with what the city requires, then think about going higher. In Lafayette, new homes in the flood fringe, and floodplain homes whose improvements over a rolling ten years top half the home's market value, must have the lowest floor and its mechanical and electrical equipment 1 foot above the base flood elevation, the flood height mapped for your lot, though historic homes that keep their historic character are exempt from that improvement rule. Because that elevation leaves out the ground sinking and the sea rising, many Louisiana communities require a foot or more above it, and LSU AgCenter guidance calls building higher a good choice even where it isn't required. You can read the city's floodplain rules for your own project.
Who is allowed to raise a house in Louisiana?
Under Louisiana's rule, a house raising worth more than $7,500 has to be done by a contractor in a license class that covers building construction, house moving or foundations work. A residential builder can bid the job but must hire one of those contractors for the lift, so ask which class your contractor holds and who will do the lift itself. We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me both questions when I come out.
Concrete work that often comes with a raise
Concrete cutting
To keep a patio or walk that butts against the house, a straight saw cut separates it so the house can rise on its own.
Concrete driveway building
A new driveway built on a dug-out, packed base gives your raised house a smooth way in and keeps rain running away from the new foundation.
Talk with us about raising your house
We answer (337) 216-1997 from early morning into the evening every day, and we work in Lafayette and the cities around it, so please call even if your city isn't named on this site.