more... > Preventing Flood Damage > Elevating or Moving the Home > [image: ElevatingorMoving] . Elevating or moving a home is highly technical and requires trained professionals for every stage of the job. It is essential to utilize these professionals if you are to have success with any project of this nature. Technical issues are not the only consideration, particularly when elevating a home in order to comply with new flood zone standards - where the desired elevation is determined by something other than aesthetics. When elevating a home in a developed area you are fundamentally changing the relationship between the house and the street. Front porches and stoops play an important role in facilitating interaction between neighbors, and the way the house meets the sidewalk impacts the experience of every person moving through a given neighborhood. With this in mind it is important to consider the design elements as well as the technical elements of elevating your house. Will the porch be raised with the house? How will the new stairs be integrated into the design? How will the interaction between house and street be best preserved? Once your home is raised, the living area will be located above the FPE (Flood Protection Elevation). This will vary depending on your neighborhood. If your home must be raised more then 4 feet, it is probably worth raising the home an entire story. This will allow you to utilize the space under your home for wet storage or parking and covered access to the living area. Rising Above the Flood [Image: Open PDF] Repetitive flooding affects thousands of Louisiana homes and businesses. In this publication and its companion videotape, a procedure to demonstrate a non-invasive method to flood proofing is explained as it was demonstrated by a Michigan contractor. Special attention is given to adapting the technology for use in Louisiana’s floodplains. (PDF format only). This is the 2005 archived version of the original 1996 publication. Lowest Floor Elevation [Image: FEMA PIC] In inland areas, experience has shown that floods damage areas of buildings not elevated above the flood level and destroy contents of those areas. In coastal areas, wave action causes even more damage, often destroying enclosed building areas below the flood level (and any building areas above the flood level that depend on the lower area for structural support). Source: Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheet Series: Fact Sheet 4. Elevation Provides the Best Protection [Image: Elevated Pier Home - Denham Springs] Elevation provides the best protection for flood damage, short of relocating the house to an area that is less prone to flooding. Raising a structure does not remove it from the special flood hazard area (SFHA); therefore, it does not exempt the owner or the mortgage company from flood insurance mandates.