Record Storms Are Turning House Lifting Into Big Business

With storms intensifying, rainfall increasing, and sea levels rising, waterfront property owners have to get more creative. For some, that means moving to higher ground, but for others, it’s just moving the house higher. House lifting has long been a strategy for waterfront real estate, but it is now becoming a far bigger business due to climate change.

“The more that things flood, the more there’s going to be a need for it,” said Mike Brovont of Wolfe House and Building Movers. He’s been in the house-lifting business for more than two decades.

While the danger from rising water is high, the risk of lifting the house is actually not. Experts in the field say it is a precise, gentle, almost delicate practice that happens very slowly and carefully. In some cases, homeowners can leave their furniture inside the homes.

“There’s always risk but over the years, we’ve definitely come up with ways to mitigate that risk quite a bit,” said Brovont. “Now, really, most houses can be lifted without any expectation of damage. A lot of times we can even lift them without any cracks in the drywall.”

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