Foundation raising in Port Angeles WA - a house lifted higher and tied to its foundation
Is your house sitting low in a spot where water can reach it? We help you find out if it's worth raising, then plan how it ties back down.
Is it worth raising your house in Port Angeles?
Foundation raising lifts an existing house higher off the ground, and for a house in Port Angeles that sits where flood water can reach, it's one of the ways to protect it.
Most people who call me about it have a house that sits low, and they're trying to figure out if raising it makes sense before they spend real money. The price moves with the size of the house, the foundation it sits on now, what shape it's in and how much has to be built to tie it back down. The schedule turns on getting the house checked first and on what the city needs before any work starts. When I come out, the estimate spells out what's in the price and what isn't, so you know what you'd be paying for.
What happens after you call us about raising your house?
Call or send a note
Call (564) 203-7120 or use the form, and tell us a little about the house and why you're thinking of raising it. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the house
I come out myself, look at the site and ask what you've got planned for the house and the ground around it. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in the price and what isn't, so there are no surprises in the number.
We sort out the city side
Once you're ready, we look early at whether the work reaches city land. When the job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork with the city or help you get your questions to the city's permit staff.
We prep, pour and walk it
I'm on site with our crew for the concrete work, from prepping the ground to the pour. When it's done, we walk the finished job with you.
How we handle foundation raising and the concrete around it
Before I talk plans, I want a qualified person to look at whether your house is worth raising at all, because a lift only makes sense on a house that can take it. Once that's settled, most of my attention goes to how the house ties back to its foundation, since most earthquake damage comes from sideways shaking pulling a house off what it sits on, and the answer is framing that's connected to itself and to the foundation. On the concrete side, we dig out, pack the base, form and pour what the house will sit on, and we check where the water runs so it moves away from the house instead of toward it. If the budget gets tight, those are the last places I'd cut, because nobody sees the base or the connections once we're done, and they're what decide how the house holds up over the years.
Raising a house usually touches the concrete around it too. If a walk or slab is in the way, concrete cutting lets us take out just the piece we need with a clean edge. Once the house sits higher, the old drive can end up at the wrong height for the garage, which is where concrete driveway building comes in.
Get an estimate for raising your house
We reply within one business day, and then I set a time to come out and look at your house myself. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no pressure to book.
Questions about raising a house in Port Angeles
How much does it cost to raise a house?
Raising a house in the US usually costs about $10,000 to $60,000 per job, and that's the national range for the work, not a price for yours. Where your house lands depends on its size, its foundation, its condition and what it takes to tie it back down. I'll come out and write an estimate for your house that shows what's in it and what isn't.
How do I know if my house is a good candidate for raising?
A design professional can tell you, usually by working through a FEMA checklist that looks at the home's condition and judges whether it suits being raised. Plan on that assessment as your first step, before you settle on a project. FEMA guidance also covers ways to raise houses on a variety of foundation types, so a crawl space or an older foundation doesn't rule you out on its own.
Where do I apply for a permit to raise my house in Port Angeles?
Building permit applications go to the City of Port Angeles, and the work has to meet the Washington State Building Codes the state currently has in place. City staff can help you figure out which application you need, and you can book a meeting with a permit specialist at permits@cityofpa.us or 360-417-4817.
Do the new flood maps in Port Angeles change the rules for raising my house?
They can, because the city adopted new FEMA flood maps and updated its flood code for the newly mapped areas, so ask the city's permit staff which rules apply to your lot. The city also regulates work in critical areas such as geologically hazardous areas, frequently flooded areas and wetlands, and Clallam County requires a flood elevation certificate from a civil engineer licensed in Washington for building in the floodplain. We're based in Port Angeles and work in Sequim and the cities around it, so I look at where your lot sits early on.
What should my contractor be registered for in Washington?
Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries, and state law requires them to be bonded and insured. If your project means work on plumbing or electrical systems, whoever does that part needs added education, exams and licensing beyond that registration. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about any of it when I come out.
What is the best way to prepare for a first meeting about raising my house?
Go through FEMA's checklist for homeowners first, because it helps you sort out what you want among the retrofitting options. It makes a useful list to bring to that first meeting, and it gets us talking about what you're after instead of guessing.
Other concrete work that often comes with a raise
Concrete cutting
When a walkway, patio or slab sits tight against the house, a clean saw cut lets us remove only the section in the way and leave the rest.
Concrete driveway building
If the old drive was already cracked or sloping toward the house, raising is a good time to replace it with a new base and proper drainage.
Call about raising your Port Angeles house
Have your address and a short description of the house and its current foundation ready, and we can start sorting it out at (564) 203-7120 or through the form.