Foundation raising in Mobile AL - your home lifted above the flood level
Flood damage or a big remodel can mean Mobile wants your house raised. We plan the lift and build the new foundation under it.
Do I need to raise my house in Mobile, and what does it take?
Foundation raising in Mobile means separating your house from its foundation, lifting it on hydraulic jacks and holding it on temporary supports while a new or extended foundation goes in underneath. The goal is a lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, the flood height the city's rules say your living space has to clear.
These calls usually start after a flood or a fire, or when a remodel gets big enough that the city's flood rules kick in. On a slab house the job can take concrete cutting to set the new supports. Before any work starts, we check with the city or county office that covers your address and handle the permit paperwork when the job needs one.
I start with your flood zone, how the house sits now and what the repairs or remodel will cost, because those decide whether you have to lift and how. Price and schedule turn on how high the house goes, what it sits on, how close it is to open water and how much of the work is in one contract. Your written estimate spells out what's in it and what isn't.
What goes into foundation raising
Before the jacks come out, it helps to know what the house will sit on, what has to move up with it and how you'll get in the door afterward.
The foundation is the job
New stairs and paint are what you'll notice, but the foundation underneath decides how the house holds up, so it's the last place I'd cut to save money.
Piles near open water
Pile foundations are used mainly where floodwaters get deep and waves or fast water are a real risk, and the heavy machinery they need means more room and more cost.
What goes up with it
The city wants electrical and mechanical equipment, bathrooms and laundry rooms at or above the required elevation, with only parking, access and limited storage allowed below it.
Getting in and out
If your doors were at ground level, you'll need new stairs, a ramp or an elevator, and if parking goes underneath, a new concrete driveway can follow.
Questions about raising a house in Mobile
Does Mobile require me to raise my house?
Yes, if the city counts your building as substantially damaged or substantially improved, it has to be raised so its lowest floor sits at or above the required base flood elevation. By the city's flood guidance, an older building in a flood hazard area that went up before the first flood maps needs raising when repairs reach 50 percent of its value, whether the damage came from flooding, fire, wind or people, and with or without flood insurance. A remodel costing 50 percent or more of the building's prior market value counts too, so a big renovation can mean a lift.
How much does it cost to raise a house in Mobile, AL?
Raising a typical single-family house usually costs about $20,000 to $80,000 across the US, and that's a national range, not our price. Coastal lots and full foundation replacement run higher, and quotes swing with how much of the work each contractor includes, so ask every bidder what theirs covers. I'll give you your own figure once I've seen the house.
What is the best way to raise a house on a concrete slab?
A slab house can go up together with its slab, or it can be detached so a new raised floor is built while the slab stays where it is. Lifting with the slab in one piece is hard and often not possible, so ask which way fits your house. I'll tell you what I'd do after I've looked at it.
What paperwork does the City of Mobile need to raise a house?
The city needs building plans showing how the home will be elevated, plus Elevation Certificates, the records of how high the floor sits, in the permit file as the work goes. In a V-Zone, the coastal high hazard area, a registered professional engineer or architect has to prepare and certify those plans. An engineer, architect or licensed surveyor fills out the certificates at several stages, and the final one has to be approved before you move back in.
How long does it take to raise a house?
Most projects run about 6 to 12 weeks, so plan your household around that stretch. When I see your house, I'll walk you through what your timeline turns on.
Can I get a grant to raise my house in Mobile?
You can't apply for FEMA's mitigation grants yourself, but your local community may apply on your behalf after a presidentially declared disaster. Those grants only open up after a declaration like that, so they're worth asking about if you're raising the house after a major storm.
Why Mobile homeowners call Quickset Mobile Concrete Company to raise their house
I want you to understand your own job well enough to judge any bid, ours included. We're based in Mobile and work across Mobile County, in Baldwin County and over in Mississippi.
I write your estimate myself
I come out to look at your house and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing it knows the work.
In business since 2013
That's 13 years of foundations and flatwork built to the standard I learned, done right underneath where nobody looks.
Fully licensed and insured
Alabama's home builders board counts most home work over $10,000 in labor and materials as home builder work, and that's work we're set up for.
A quote you can compare
We lay out who does what on a house raising and what our quote covers, so you can line it up fairly against others.
I'm on site running it
Our crew of finishers and form setters does the work, with me on the job running it.
Start planning your house raising today
Have your flood zone, foundation type and any damage or remodel cost figures handy when you call (251) 219-6382, so we can get right to what your house needs.
What happens after you call about raising your house?
Raising a house involves several people and a stack of paperwork, so we plan it around your flood zone, your house and your household before anyone lifts a thing.
You reach out
Call (251) 219-6382 or use the form, and I'll get back to you myself to set a time to see the house.
We walk the house
I look at how the house sits and where it falls on the flood map, and walk you through what it needs and why.
Your written estimate
You get it in writing, spelling out what's included and what isn't, and we sort out the permit side before any work starts.
Work and walkthrough
I run the job on site with our crew, and when we're done I show you how to care for the new concrete.