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Flood Plain

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Bill Z 
#1 ·
Have a great customer who wants to build a room addition on an existing lake cottage (Northern Indiana). Original house was probably a mid century fishing shack added on to multiple times. House is located in a flood plain, and the one time exclusion to add on was used in 1993. To complicate things further, FEMA has raised the level of the flood plain by about 18" since the house was last added to so it appears that all floor elevations are below the new standard.

These are older people who need more room since they sold their house in the city and moved here full time. They have neither the funds or desire to tear everything down and start over.

Has anyone ever found a way to get an exemption to the one time rule? Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Bill
 
#2 ·
Bill, I know you're trying to help these folks; have you thought about first helping them by lifting their house a couple of feet. They're doing a lot of that over here on the coast. Small frame building, shouldn't be impossible. Maybe some of the other Hampton Roads people could coach you along. People round these parts are learning that flood plain rules are good things.
 
#3 ·
bill r has the most cost effective idea. i'd get a house mover in there, lift it, build a new foundation under it...set it down. i live on a lake in south dakota, and the lake for the most part is considered in a flood plain by FEMA. i had a civil engineer give me a signed affadavit to the effect that in a 500 yr flood event, my home sat high enough above the lake it would never get flooded. with that certificate, my lender no longer requires that i carry flood insurance. a savings of about $700 a year in my instance.
 
#4 ·
Flood Plain..

Hey, that's what I wanted to hear, some "Outta the box ideas"! Not sure the house would hold together for raising, it really is a series of additions tacked together but it is still a home for these folks.

I also like the idea of getting a civil engineer to certify that it won't get wet. They've never had a problem during the past 20 years, but 500 years is a long time. I'll check on that idea too.

Thanks for the ideas, keep 'em coming!
Bill
 
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