House lifting · New Hampshire
House lifting in New Hampshire
Why New Hampshire homeowners raise their homes, from Seacoast flood zones and failing foundations to lake camps and low cellars, with the numbers behind each reason.
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By the numbers
Why New Hampshire Homeowners Lift Houses
Three figures that explain most of the lifting we do in the state.
2,000 homes
Tidal flood risk by 2045
New Hampshire homes facing chronic tidal flooding by 2045 in a 2018 Union of Concerned Scientists analysis, rising past 5,000 by 2100.
1 in 5
Hampton homes at risk
Nearly 1,500 Hampton homes, about 20 percent of the town's housing, were in that 2045 group.
48 to 60 inches
Frost depth
How deep frost typically reaches in New Hampshire, which is why old shallow foundations heave and fail.
Why lift a house at all?
Lifting a house sounds dramatic, but it is often the most practical way to solve a problem that sits underneath the home. With the house raised on steel beams and cribbing, a crew can replace an entire foundation, add basement height or set the home at a new elevation, then lower it back down. In New Hampshire, five reasons come up again and again.
1. Seacoast flood risk
New Hampshire has a short coastline, but a lot of homes sit close to it. A 2018 Union of Concerned Scientists analysis found about 2,000 New Hampshire homes, worth about $645 million, at risk of chronic tidal flooding by 2045, and more than 5,000 homes worth about $2.4 billion by 2100.
That risk is concentrated. Hampton, New Castle, Rye and Seabrook lead the list. Hampton is hit hardest, with nearly 1,500 homes, about 20 percent of its housing, in the 2045 group, and Rye had nearly 200.
Raising a home above the Base Flood Elevation shown on the FEMA flood map is the most reliable way to protect it. Storm water passes beneath the living space instead of through it.
2. Rules that require elevation
In mapped flood zones, the rules can make the decision for you. Under the National Flood Insurance Program, when the cost of improvements to a flood zone home, or the damage it suffers, reaches half of its market value, the home generally has to be brought up to current floodplain standards. For most homes, that means elevating.
Some towns go further. Hampton adopted updated FEMA flood maps in 2015, and along its oceanfront, federal coastal high hazard standards require new structures and homes going through major renovation to sit on pilings. Town voters have also weighed extending that pile requirement to homes in the tidal wetlands district.
How we lift
Our own crew, our own jacks.
Payne Construction lifts homes across New Hampshire with our own hydraulic jacking systems and crew. We handle the excavation and the new foundation too, so one team is responsible from start to finish.
✓ Utilities disconnected and the home cleared before the lift
✓ Raised evenly onto cribbing while the new foundation is built
✓ About one week to several weeks, depending on the house
3. Foundations that have failed
Most of the lifts we do inland have nothing to do with flooding. New Hampshire is full of older homes on fieldstone, brick or block foundations, and frost typically reaches 48 to 60 inches here. Walls that were never set below the frost line heave, crack and bow over decades of winters.
When a foundation is past repair, lifting the house lets us remove it completely and pour a new one with footings below the frost line, without tearing down the home above it.
4. Lake camps and the shoreland zone
From Winnipesaukee to Bow Lake, older camps and cottages often sit on posts, piers or shallow stone. Lifting them onto a full foundation or helical piles is often the first step in turning a summer camp into a year round home.
Lakefront lifts come with extra rules. Under New Hampshire's Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act, land within 250 feet of larger lakes is protected shoreland. Excavation and construction there can need a state permit, and the first 50 feet from the water has strict limits on clearing.
5. Room underneath
Low cellars are common in older New Hampshire homes. Lifting the house and pouring taller foundation walls can turn a damp crawlspace or a stooped cellar into a full height basement, adding usable space without adding on.
Help paying for flood elevation
Homes with an active National Flood Insurance Program policy that are substantially damaged may qualify for up to $30,000 in Increased Cost of Compliance coverage toward elevation. FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds may also be available after federal disasters.
How it works
How a lift comes together
The same careful sequence on every home we raise in New Hampshire.
01
Site visit
We look at the framing, the foundation, access for equipment and whether the lot is in a flood zone.
02
Plan & permits
Utility disconnects arranged, permits pulled and 811 Dig Safe called.
03
Raise & support
Steel beams go under the house and our jacks raise it evenly onto cribbing.
04
Build & set down
The new foundation is built and the house is lowered back onto it.
Is lifting right for your home?
✓ Your foundation is crumbling, bowing or past repair
✓ Your home sits below the Base Flood Elevation in a mapped flood zone
✓ You are planning major work on a home in a flood zone
✓ Your lake camp needs a real foundation
✓ You want a full height basement
Sources: Union of Concerned Scientists analysis reported by NH Business Review (2018), NHPR reporting on Hampton's piling requirements, NH Lakes guidance on shoreland permitting, FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
New Hampshire's house lifting experts
Payne Construction is a house lifting company based in Strafford, New Hampshire. Whether your home sits in a Seacoast flood zone, on a failing foundation or beside a lake, getting it safely in the air is what we do.
✓ We lift homes and buildings with our own hydraulic jacking systems and our own crew, no subcontractors
✓ We lift Seacoast homes in flood zones, lake camps and inland homes on failing foundations
✓ We handle the excavation and the new foundation too, so one team runs the whole job
✓ Leadership in the New England Association of Structural Movers
✓ Licensed, fully insured and a US Customs Bonded Carrier
From Hampton Beach to the Lakes Region, Payne Construction is the house lifting team New Hampshire homeowners can call.
FAQ
House lifting in New Hampshire: questions
Do I need a permit to lift my house in New Hampshire?
Yes. Lifting and foundation work need a local building permit, and projects near the shore or larger lakes can need state permits too. We handle the permit process as part of the job.
How long does a house lift take?
Generally anywhere from one week to several weeks. Every house is different, so we walk you through your project before work begins.
Can we stay in the house during the lift?
No. Utilities are disconnected while the house is raised and supported, so it cannot be lived in until it is set back down and reconnected.
Does FEMA help pay to elevate a home?
It can. Homes with an active NFIP policy that are substantially damaged may qualify for up to $30,000 in Increased Cost of Compliance coverage, and grant funds may be available after federal disasters.
Lifting near you
House lifting by town.
Local details for some of the New Hampshire towns we serve.
01
House lifting in Hampton
Beach and marsh homes on piles.
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02
House lifting in Rye
Raising homes on the open coast.
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03
House lifting in Portsmouth
Old houses near the tide.
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04
House lifting in Wolfeboro
Lake houses and camps.
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05
House lifting in Strafford
Camps and farmhouses in our home town.
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06
House lifting in NH
Our statewide house lifting page.
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Let's talk
Thinking about lifting your home?
Tell us about the house and what is going on underneath it. We will set up a free site visit and walk you through your options.
✓ Free on site estimates
✓ Serving New Hampshire and Southern Maine
✓ Every step of the process, covered by us!
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