What is an elevated home?
An elevated home is a house whose living area is raised above the ground on a foundation system such as piers, posts, columns, or pilings rather than sitting directly on a slab or conventional foundation.
In coastal areas, homes are elevated primarily for flood resilience. Raising the home allows floodwater to pass underneath rather than entering the living space (but the benefits go beyond this/flood protection, too).
You may hear several terms used interchangeably: elevated home, stilt home, raised home, pier home, piling home, camp home, or home on posts/columns. Technically, many of these terms refer to different types of elevated foundation systems (don’t worry, we explain more below).
If you aren’t sure if you need an elevated home, what type of elevated foundation is right for your lot, or how much it might cost to build a raised home in your area, you’re in the right place.
Let’s dig in.
Why build an elevated home in a coastal region?
Elevated homes are becoming increasingly popular in flood- and hurricane-prone regions. Here are the top reasons to elevate your home:
- Flood protection: Elevating living spaces reduces exposure to floodwater and floodborne debris by allowing water to flow beneath the home.
- Structural stability: An engineered elevated foundation can create a strong load path that transfers hurricane-force wind and lateral flood forces into the ground, while deep stilts can provide stability in sandy or sloped terrain.
- Improved air circulation: Elevating a home allows air to circulate beneath the structure, helping dissipate heat and reducing the risk of moisture-related issues around the foundation.
- Big energy savings: Increased airflow below the home reduces heat buildup, helping the home stay cooler in warm coastal climates.
- Lower insurance costs: Elevating a home above the required flood elevation reduces its exposure to flood damage and may lower flood insurance premiums.
- Harder to break into: An elevated living space is more secure compared with a home with ground-level entry points.
- Better views: Raising your coastal home above surrounding vegetation and structures often unlocks better views of the water, landscape, or surrounding property.
- Increased property value: The combined benefits of an elevated home—from greater protection against coastal hazards to improved airflow and elevated views—can make the property more attractive to buyers and strengthen its resale value.
While there are several advantages to elevating your coastal home, living next to the coast does not automatically mean you must build an elevated home.
Do you need to build an elevated home?
You may be required to build an elevated home if you live in certain flood-prone regions. Whether or not you’ll need to build on a raised foundation depends on your specific property, flood zone, local regulations, site elevation, and applicable building codes.
Start by checking federal and local regulations. See if you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area by entering your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. If yes, you’ll be required to build to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). BFE is the calculated height that floodwaters are expected to rise during a 1% annual chance flood (also known as the “100-year flood”).
Don’t forget to check your local jurisdiction too, as local regulations can be even stricter than federal.
Keep in mind that you can still elevate your home even if you live in a low-risk area. Choosing an elevated foundation for your new build can be an excellent investment in long-term resilience—especially as climate change continues to disrupt weather patterns, making local weather increasingly unpredictable.
Need help? Contact Lumee Homes for quick answers about elevated homes, flood hazard areas, and local building regulations.
How high does an elevated home need to be?
There is no universal height requirement for an elevated home. Required elevation is determined by factors including flood zone, Base Flood Elevation, local freeboard requirements, site grade, and the home's design.
We’ve talked about Base Flood Elevation (BFE), but what are freeboard requirements? Freeboard is the additional height a home is built above the required BFE. Building with freeboard gives homeowners an added buffer against flooding and storm surge while potentially reducing flood insurance costs.
For example, in certain A-zone flood areas in Charleston County, new and substantially improved residential structures must have their finished floor at least 2 feet above BFE.
What types of elevated foundations are there?
Elevated foundations are commonly used for flood-prone areas, unstable soils, coastal or high-moisture environments, and sloped terrain. There are several types of elevated foundations to consider, each with their pros and cons.
Piles / pilings foundation
Piles are long, slender columns driven deep into the ground typically made from concrete, steel, or wood. Common in coastal construction, they offer superior structural strength against hurricanes and high-velocity wave action. Because they’re driven deep into the earth, they also work well in weak soil environments.
Posts and columns
Made of square pressure-treated lumber (4×4, 6×6, or 8×8) or poured concrete, these sit on shallow concrete footings poured inside dug holes, making them ideal for inland camps with stable soil but unsafe for coastal wave zones.
Pier and beam foundations (crawl space)
The most common elevated foundation type in residential construction. Made of concrete blocks, steel piers, or poured concrete piers sitting on concrete footings cast shallowly or on top of the ground, this raises the home slightly (1–3 feet) for easy utility access but offers very low resistance to moving floodwaters.
Open vs. closed elevated foundations
An open elevated foundation allows water and wind to flow freely under the house through exposed pillars, whereas a closed elevated foundation seals the underside with walls to create a solid crawl space or ground-level room.
The right foundation isn't simply a matter of preference. Soil conditions, flood zone, required elevation, wind loads, wave action, scour, local code and the home's structural design all factor into the decision.
How much does it cost to build an elevated home?
An elevated home generally costs more to build than an otherwise comparable home on a conventional slab because the foundation requires additional materials, engineering, labor and site work.
There isn't a reliable universal “cost per square foot” premium. It varies based on site conditions and home design. To get a cost estimate for your lot, request custom pricing from Lumee Homes.
How does an elevated home affect flood insurance?
Building your elevated home to or above the minimum required elevation can meaningfully lower your flood insurance premium. However, there are several other factors that play into flood insurance pricing.
Contact a local flood insurance provider for a custom quote. Lumee Homes can help by providing custom spec sheets for your desired build so you can get the most accurate quote possible.
Can Lumee Homes build an elevated home?
Yes, all Lumee Homes models can be built on an elevated foundation. Elevated construction is particularly aligned with Lumee's mission of creating climate-resilient homes for hurricane-prone coastal communities.
Design your custom elevated coastal home today. Request custom pricing from Lumee Homes.
Is an elevated home right for you?
Have land but aren't sure whether you need an elevated foundation, or which type is right for you? That's where Lumee can help guide you through the process. Contact our team today.
