Foundation raising in Manchester NH - your house set higher on a new foundation
Water getting too close to your floors? We lift the house, build a taller foundation under it and set it back down.
What does it take to raise a house in Manchester?
Foundation raising in Manchester means lifting your whole house, building a new, taller foundation under it and setting the house back down, so your floors end up higher than they were.
Most people who call about this want their house up out of the way of water, and the first thing I want to know is what it sits on now. The price moves with that foundation, the height you're after, how heavy the house is, whether it has additions, what new foundation goes under it and how far the utilities have to stretch. The schedule turns on the engineer's review for heavier homes, the permit, the utility companies and the season. Before anything moves, we check with the city's Building Division, which handles plan review and permits here, and the estimate I write up shows what your job includes.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
House lifting, foundations and flatwork
How our foundation raising job runs
A lift is a lot like a busy night on a restaurant line, because the prep decides how it goes and the lift itself is the short part. On heavy or complex homes we bring in a structural engineer first to judge whether the house suits lifting, since brick or stucco siding may need to come off and an addition may have to go up separately from the main house. Then our crew slides a cradle of steel beams under or through the house and jacks it to the height you want, builds the new foundation while it's up, extends the utilities and lowers the house onto its new base to be reconnected. Early on I'll nudge you to call your utility companies and your insurance agent, so nothing holds up the reconnect at the end. If the budget's tight, spend it on the engineer and the foundation, not the trim, because nobody sees what's underneath and that's the part holding your house up.
A lift usually touches the concrete around the house too. If an old patio or walk butts up against the foundation, or we need openings for the beams, concrete cutting takes out just what's in the way with a clean edge. Once your house sits higher, the old driveway often won't meet the garage the way it used to, so we can follow up with concrete driveway building set to the new height and sloped so water runs away from the house.
Why Manchester homeowners call R&S Manchester Concrete Construction to raise a house
I write your estimate myself
I come out, walk around the house with you and write up the estimate, and I'm on site with our own crew when the work happens. The person who planned your lift is the one watching it go up.
Licensed and insured, start to finish
We're licensed and insured, which matters more on a lift than on most jobs because your whole house is up on steel while we work. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Running our own crew since 2017
We've been in business since 2017, and I learned the trade on other people's crews before that. The people pouring your new foundation are our own crew, working right alongside me.
Based in Manchester, working nearby
We're based in Manchester and work across the cities around it in southern New Hampshire, and over the line into Massachusetts too. Work on an existing house here falls under New Hampshire's state building code, so we plan the lift around it from the first visit.
On a lift, the planning counts for more than the day the jacks come out. Tell us about your house or call (603) 314-3764, and I'll come take a look.
Get a free on-site estimate for raising your house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a visit. I'll walk your house and write up a free estimate showing what's included, with no pressure to book.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What happens after you call about raising your house
Call or send us a message
Call (603) 314-3764, email office@manchesterconcreteconstruction.com or use the form, and we'll set up a visit. It helps to have your foundation type, siding material, any additions and whether you're in a flood zone ready.
I walk the house with you
I come out, look at the foundation and siding, listen to what you have in mind and write up an estimate that lists what's included. That way you know what you're paying for before we start.
We line up the permit
Once you say go, we sort out the permit side with you, and the city says work should start only after the approved permit arrives. Then we pick a lift date that suits the season.
We lift, build and reconnect
Our crew raises the house, builds the new foundation, lowers the house onto it and gets it reconnected. Then I walk the finished job with you and go over how to care for it.
Foundation raising questions from Manchester owners
How do I know if my house in Manchester can be raised?
Houses over a crawlspace are usually the easiest and least expensive to raise, so if that's what you have, you're starting from a good spot. A house on a slab poured at ground level is a different story, because lifting it may not be practical or worth the cost. I look at those closely before saying yes either way.
How much does it cost to raise a house in Manchester NH?
The cost comes down to your current foundation, how high the house goes, how heavy it is, whether additions go up separately and what new foundation it sits on. Utility extensions and any concrete work around the house add to it too. I price each house after seeing it, and the estimate spells out what's included.
What kind of foundation goes under a house after it's raised?
A raised house can sit on continuous foundation walls, on open foundations like piles, piers, posts or columns, or on fill. Which one fits depends on how high the house goes and what you're raising it for. On heavier homes, the engineer's review helps settle it, and I'll tell you which one I'd pick and why.
Who handles permits for raising a house in Manchester?
In Manchester, the Building Division reviews building plans and approves permits, and you can get the permit application online or by mail. We check with them about your job and help you pull together what they ask for, like a site plan. If a permit's needed, we either take care of it or walk you through it, depending on whose name the office wants on the application.
Will raising my house help with flood insurance?
It can, and your flood insurance agent is the one to confirm it, so talk with them before work starts about whether the plan qualifies for a premium reduction tied to a properly elevated first floor. If your house is in a mapped flood area, the community's permit file has to hold an official record showing it's properly raised. FEMA encourages communities to use its Elevation Certificate for that record, and you can also use it to get flood insurance.
How do I get my utilities reconnected after a house is raised?
Call your utility companies early and ask about their rules for extending service to a raised house. In many cases they build the extension for you, which makes that part of the job simpler. Calling ahead keeps the reconnect from becoming the thing everyone waits on.
Concrete contractor in nearby cities
Concrete work that goes with foundation raising
Concrete cutting
Saw cutting lets us open a path for steel beams or take out a section of slab with a clean edge instead of breaking up more than we need.
Concrete driveway building
A higher house leaves the garage floor and front door at a new level, and a driveway poured to match keeps cars and rain running the right way.