Cost of rebuilding: FEMA can assist with cost of raising elevation
Published 6:11 pm Friday, October 6, 2017
Homeowners whose homes were damaged may be in for a rude shock when it comes time to rebuild.
This is because homes that were very badly damaged and that do not meet base flood elevation (BFE) will have to be raised to BFE if the homeowner hopes to get permits for repairs.
If homeowners had flood insurance, they may qualify for FEMA funding to elevate their home. This is called Increased Cost of Compliance coverage
If a homeowner did not have flood insurance, however, he or she will likely be on the hook for the entire cost.
County Engineer Steve Stafford explained the process.
“The county requires that homes, and only homes, that are located within the 100- year floodplain, be built so that the lowest floor of the house is at least 1-foot above the Base Flood Elevation for their location. This only applies to the living area, not garages, patios or outbuildings,” Stafford said.
Base flood elevations are calculated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and vary throughout the community, according to Pamela Langford, floodplain administrator for the city of Port Arthur.
She said the BFE varies across the city but contractors should factor that in to any estimate, if raising is what is needed.
“These costs (of raising a house) should be included in the cost estimate provided to the homeowner by the builder or the developer or the contractor,” she said.
Not every home will have to be raised, however. That will depend on the damage.
“We will compare the cost to repair the house with the fair market value of the house, not including land value,” Stafford said.
If the repair cost is equal to or greater than 50 percent of the value of the house, then the house must be brought up to the current floodplain standard.
Stafford said the cost to raise a house would vary depending on the size and the type of home. Slab on-grade homes would be more expensive than chain walls or pier and beam homes.
But whatever the size of home, people without flood insurance may find themselves in trouble.
“I am not aware of what other financial assistance people can receive if they don’t have flood insurance,” Stafford said.
For homeowners whose homes flooded even though they meet BFE, there is some good news.
According to county authorities, the floodplain maps should not get redrawn due to the recent flood. The maps are based on a 100-year flood and Hurricane Harvey was greater than that.
Maps do get revised periodically though. The current maps for Jefferson County were approved in 2002.
FEMA last proposed new draft maps in 2012 and those will probably become effective next year.