RAISE YOUR HOME AND YOUR PEACE OF MIND

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RAISE YOUR HOME AND YOUR PEACE OF MIND
Prepared by David OReilly Engineering
Consultants for Build Now For more information,
call [phone] or visit www.buildnownola.com
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3 IMPORTANT REASONS FOR YOU TO ELEVATE

• It is less likely that you will ever flood again
• Your flood insurance will be less expensive
• There is funding available NOW

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Foundations In New Orleans

• Soils in New Orleans are likely to settle
• Soils consist primarily of soft saturated clay
• The weight of your home puts pressure on the soil
  that causes the water to drain from the soil
• The lose of moisture causes the volume of the
  soil to decrease
• This process is the cause of settlement

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Types of foundations

• Pier Homes

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Types of foundations

• Foundation piers widen beneath the ground to
  spread the weight of the house over a larger area
  to help reduce settlement

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Types of Foundations

• Slab Homes
• Generally built after World War II
• TYPES
• Slab on Grade
• Slab supported by Piles

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Types of Foundations

• Slab on Grade
• Spread the Load over a wide area
• Severe problems with differential or uneven
  settlement

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Types of Foundations

• Pile supported Slab
• Weight of house is transmitted to deeper soil
  layers
• Great advantage to reduce settlement
• Code requires piles for all new construction

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AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR ELEVATION

• Increased Cost of Compliance program (ICC)
• The Road Home Elevation Incentive
• State level Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs
  (HMGP)
• Parish level Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs
  (HMGP) for those who have suffered Severe
  Repetitive Loss (SRL)
• SBA Loans

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Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC)

• 30,000 (15,000 to begin elevation, 15,000 when
  elevation completed)
• Federal money available to use toward elevation
  if you had flood insurance pre-Katrina
• If you had your house assessed as less than 50
  damaged after the storm ICC funding is not
  available to you
• Call the agent you bought your flood insurance
  from or the ICC department at your insurance
  company to make an ICC claim

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ICC Claim Numbers

• Fidelity
• Maria ext 6294
• [phone]-phone
• [phone]
• [phone]-fax
• AllState
• Anna Chen ext 8569
• Alecia ext 8554
• [phone]-phone
• [phone]-fax

• State Farm
• Irving Texas
• 888-784-7674-fax
• Team 50
• 1-866-210-1785
• South West Business Corp Claims
• Felicia Garcia ext 1455
• 1-866-476-8399-phone
• 210-635-1465-fax
• Liberty Mutual
• Dorrine Decker
• 301-571-6851-phone
• 301-214-1086-fax

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The Road Home Elevation Incentive

• 30,000 from Road Home for elevation
• Can be paired with ICC funding
• Total Road Home funding cannot exceed the
  150,000 maximum
• No specific deadline set yet
• Road Home Elevation Hotline
• 1-877-234-1513

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State level Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs
(HMGP)

• Up to 30,000 additional reimbursement in
  addition to Road Home and ICC funding to complete
  and elevation project
• Homeowners who did not start elevation before
  March 16th 2008 must wait to receive approval
  from the States HMGP award program before
  beginning elevation work
• Homeowners who can prove that they started and
  elevation project before March 16th 2008 may be
  reimbursed through these funds

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State level Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs
(HMGP) Cont.

• HMGP ELEVATION GRANTS
• For applicants who received forms to apply for
  HMGP elevation grants, you can still send in
  those forms or request another copy if you did
  not send it yet. http//www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg
  /dr/hmgp/hmgp.htm
• If you are demolishing your house and building a
  new one, your HMGP elevation grant of up to
  30,000 is determined by total allowable costs
  for construction and elevation minus total Road
  Home grant, FEMA structural damage funds,
  insurance benefits, and ICC money.
• If you are elevating and repairing your house,
  your HMGP elevation grant of up to 30,000 is
  determined by total allowable costs for elevation
  minus Road Home elevation grant and ICC money.
• For details and to determine your HMGP
  eligibility to start rebuilding, contact
  1-877-744-7235 or 1-225-339-3746 or
  hazardmitigation_at_la.gov.

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Parish level Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs
(HMGP)

• Program for those who have suffered Severe
  Repetitive Loss (SRL)
• Will cover complete cost of elevating your home
  in most cases
• Orleans Parish should contact you to let you know
  that your home qualifies as a SRL property
• Contact
• Smart Inc 833 Howard Ave 301, New Orleans, LA
  70113, [phone]

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SBA Loans

• SBA will cover the full cost of the elevation
  only if the elevation is deemed absolutely
  necessary.
• SBAs Disaster Customer Service Center
  1-800-659-2955 or disastercustomerservice_at_sba.gov

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The Elevation Process
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ELEVATION FOR PIER HOUSES

• Most homes in New Orleans are pier homes.
• When a pier house is elevated, generally there is
  minimal cracking of the walls.

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PREPARATION FOR PIER HOUSE ELEVATION

• Removing attached porches
• Remove Old Foundation
• Running steel beams under the house
• Disconnecting utilities

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HOUSE IS LIFTED USING A UNIFIED JACKING SYSTEM

• Make sure the shoring contractor uses a fully
  computerized jacking system to elevate both slab
  and pier houses.
• The home is elevated in a level position, just
  like an elevator.

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NEW PIERS ARE BUILT HOUSE IS LOWERED ONTO PIERS

• New Steel reinforced continuous foundation is
  poured
• New Piers are steel reinforced and filled with
  concrete
• Hurricane straps are attached to house

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FINISHING TOUCHES

• Reconnection of plumbing
• Reconnection of electrical work
• Porch and stair building/rebuilding
• Siding/bricks

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ELEVATION FOR SLAB HOUSES

• There are two methods to elevate a slab home

• SLAB SEPARATION the slab that your home was
  originally built on remains on the ground and
  your home is elevated into the air on concrete
  piers and a new wood floor system is built. Your
  slab home is now a pier home.

• SLAB ELEVATION the entire concrete slab and
  house are both lifted and placed on concrete
  piers.

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PREPARATION FOR SLAB SEPARATION ELEVATION

• Removing all ground floor contents of the house
• Removing all exterior brick
• Separating frame of house from concrete slab
• Banding house together using wooden boards
• Running steel beams under the banding
• Disconnecting utilities

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HOUSE IS LIFTED USING A UNIFIED JACKING SYSTEM

• Make sure the shoring contractor uses a fully
  computerized jacking system to elevate both slab
  and pier houses.
• The home is elevated in a level position, just
  like an elevator.

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NEW PIERS ARE BUILT HOUSE IS LOWERED ONTO PIERS

• New Piers are steel reinforced and filled with
  concrete
• Hurricane straps are attached to house
• A new wooden subfloor is built where the slab
  used to be.

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FINISHING TOUCHES

• Reconnection of plumbing
• Reconnection of electrical work
• Porch and stair building/rebuilding
• Enclosing around piers and installing vents
• Siding/bricks
• Interior flooring replacement
• Sheetrock patching

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Pros Cons of Slab Separation
CONS
PROS

• Option to change floor plan around
• Only option for Slab on Grade
• No issues with underground plumbing
• No danger involved in elevating slab

• Exterior bricks must be removed
• Interior renovations will be compromised
• Takes longer
• Not ideal for renovated houses

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PREPARATION FOR SLAB ELEVATION

• Slab is tunneled under to find existing pilings

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HOUSE IS LIFTED USING A UNIFIED JACKING SYSTEM

• Make sure the shoring contractor uses a fully
  computerized jacking system to elevate both slab
  and pier houses.
• The home is elevated in a level position, just
  like an elevator.

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NEW PIERS ARE BUILT SLAB IS LOWERED ONTO PIERS

• With this method the house has no way of being
  attached to the foundation piers.

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FINISHING TOUCHES

• Reconnection of plumbing
• Reconnection of electrical work
• Porch and stair building/rebuilding
• Enclosing around piers and installing vents

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Pros Cons of Slab Elevation
CONS
PROS

• No option to change floor plan around
• Creates issues with underground plumbing
• Long term settlement issues are not known
• Future foundation problems unknown and more
  likely

• Exterior brick can stay on house
• Interior renovations will not be compromised
• Elevation process is quicker
• Ideal for renovated houses

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Slab Elevation

• Slab Elevation Before

Slab Elevation After
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Slab Separation Elevation
Slab Separation During

• Slab Separation After

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Slab Separation Elevation

• Slab Separation During

Slab Separation After
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TRADITIONAL PIER HOUSE ELEVATION
TRADITIONAL PIER HOUSE BEFORE
TRADITIONAL PIER HOUSE AFTER
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TRADITIONAL PIER HOUSE ELEVATION
TRADITIONAL PIER HOUSE BEFORE
TRADITIONAL PIER HOUSE AFTER
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SPLIT LEVEL ELEVATION
SPLIT LEVEL HOUSE BEFORE
SPLIT LEVEL HOUSE DURING
SPLIT LEVEL HOUSE AFTER
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RAISED BASEMENT ELEVATION

• Relocating electrical and plumbing from the
  bottom floor of your raised basement home can be
  done with elevation grant funding.

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New Construction
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FAQs ABOUT ELEVATION

• WILL ELEVATING MY HOME CRACK MY WALLS AND
  DESTROY MY RENOVATIONS?
• HOW HIGH DO I HAVE TO ELEVATE?
• HOW LONG DOES ELEVATION TAKE?
• DO I HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF MY HOUSE DURING
  ELEVATION?
• WILL MY HOUSE LOOK LIKE A FISHING CAMP AFTER
  ELEVATION?

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Finding a Contractor
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Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor

• May I have a copy of your contractors license?
• May I have the name of your insurance provider so
  I can verify your insurance?
• Does your company carry supplemental insurance?

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Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor Cont.

• Does your company use a licensed engineer?
• How long have you been in business locally?
• Can you provide references to jobs that I can go
  see?
• What is the warranty or guarantee, in case of a
  construction problem?

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How to Get Started

• Step 1 Get Necessary Surveys
• Surveys Needed for Elevation
• Before Elevation
• BFE (Base Flood Elevation)
• Benchmark Survey
• Once House is Lifted Piers put in
• Top of Pier Survey
• After House is Set Down on Piers
• BFE (Base Flood Elevation)-to show house is now
  in compliance

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How to Get Started Cont.

• Step 2 Get estimates
• Rule 1-You should NEVER pay for an estimate.
• Get estimates from at least three contractors
  before making your decision.
• Never tell a contractor that you are in a grant
  program or how much grant money you are approved
  for.

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How to Get Started Cont.

• Step 3 Sign a contract
• Most contractors will require a deposit of 25 of
  the total cost of construction
• Read the entire contract carefully before
  signing.

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How to Get Started Cont.

• Step 4 Managing the construction process
• NEVER give your contractor all of the money up
  front.
• Photograph the entire construction process in
  case future litigation is necessary
• Most contractors work on the following payment
  schedule
• 25 to begin construction
• 25
• 50 at completion of project

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Questions?
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Thank You!