Raising a Coastal Home in Wilmington, NC

Featured (Southeast)

Wilmington, NC / January 2025

With coastal flooding increasing the vulnerability of North Carolina’s beachfront properties, many homeowners are choosing house lifting as a long-term protection strategy. For this 91′ x 90′ residence in Wilmington, raising the structure offered a practical way to reduce flood exposure while preserving the home’s footprint and architectural character. Wolfe House and Building Movers was contracted to elevate the residence, including its wrap-around decks and existing girder system, while foundation work was completed beneath the structure. The project required careful coordination within a confined neighborhood setting and around existing utilities and pilings.

Wolfe began by constructing crib piles and installing a steel beam support system beneath the home. Using Buckingham crib jacks and a unified jacking system, the team raised the structure 7′ 8″ while maintaining a level lift across all support points. The house remained supported at its new elevation while a new foundation was constructed below. Once the foundation work was complete, Wolfe lowered the structure 8″ onto the new supports, resulting in a net elevation gain of 7 feet.

The completed project provides substantially improved flood protection while preserving the home’s original design and site layout. Elevated on a new foundation system, the residence is now better positioned to withstand future coastal flooding and changing floodplain requirements.