House Raising in the Beach Haven West Real Estate Market

The process of raising a home in Beach Haven West is not easy, however there are some distinct advantages to the process. A brief outline of the house raising process is as follows:

• Soil samples are taken to determine the type of foundation that can be used (most commonly block or pilings)
• Heavy equipment is brought in an steel beams are inserted underneath a home
• The house is listed and potentially moved to make way for pilings to be driven
• The house is settled on its new foundation, well above the new base flood elevation
• Access stairs, decks, and utilities are reconnected

The cost and process of raising a home will vary greatly depending on the specific attributes of a property. A very rough ballpark figure is between $50,000 and $75,000 for the entire project. While this cost may seem extreme, this annual savings in flood insurance can more than make up for the expense. The potential for annual savings can be thousands of dollars per year and there is an added value in the peace of mind that a home is less susceptible to flood damage.

Beach Haven West New Construction After Hurricane Sandy

The most widespread and noticeable change to the building guidelines in Beach Haven West have to do with the flood zones in which the home is located.

• “A” flood zones are considered to be less dangerous in the eyes of FEMA and therefore have more relaxed billing guidelines
• “V” flood zones are considered to be at a greater risk and therefore additional measures must be taken when building a “V ” zone

Regardless of the flood zone in which a property is located, there are some common sense practices that will help to not only lower the cost of flood insurance but also create a more secure and safe building. For example, the higher the home is built the lower the flood insurance rates will be (up to three or four feet above the new base flood elevation). Homes that are located in the A flood zone are still allowed to have a solid block foundations however a home located in the V flood zone must have a sacrificial ground floor. In other words, a home’s foundation must be on pilings or columns with breakaway walls. Understanding the flood zone of the property will help a homeowner to determine the overall design of their home when building a new home in Beach Haven West after Hurricane Sandy.

How to Hire the Right Contractor in Beach Haven West

There are a few simple steps any consumer can take to ensure they hire the right contractor for their home renovation.

• Ask for a copy of the builders license
• Ask to see the insurance policies the builder holds
• Asked to see recent work and complete a project along with client testimonials

The builders license and insurance policies should be very simple requests for any contractor to produce. Contractors must abide by the laws of New Jersey and have a license to do business. The absence of such a license should be a major red flag. In addition, insurance policies should be in place to cover both the contractor and your personal assets. One often overlooked area for contractors insurance policies has to do with house raising. In order for a contractor to be properly covered, they should have in place a home riggers insurance policy. The absence of such a policy could jeopardize your personal assets in the event of an unfortunate accident. Lastly, most reputable contractors have completed a series of home renovations, home elevations, or new constructions. Therefore it should be no issue to provide a long list of completed projects and client testimonials. It would be advantageous to see the inside of the recently completed project and understand what you are getting for your money.

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Nathan Colmer

Contact Nathan

C: 609.290.4293 | O: 609.492.1511 | E: ncolmer@vandykgroup.com