# Forum Contacts & Links Estimating & Quoting  House raise - no build under - ballpark cost and other considerations

## chimpangie

G'day everyone, I'm a newbie so please be nice  :Smilie:  
I have searched this forum (and others) for some advice but cannot find the right info so hoping a direct question will help. 
We are adding an extension to our little weatherboard cottage, but due to new flood regulations, the extension will need to be 19cm higher than the existing structure.  We had initially ruled out raising the house as loved the low-set cottage and also thought raising would be too expensive.  We are now considering however, raising the existing house to match the height of the extension, so another 19cm.  The house is only 2.5 bedroom, pretty small footprint and already on 80cm concrete stumps. 
Is anyone able to suggest a ballpark figure for raising this cottage up only 19cm?  Obviously no building underneath required  :Smilie:  
Another consideration I believe is the soil???  We haven't had a soil test yet but we are in Sandgate so we know it is somewhat sandy.  Our neighbour had to drive their stumps pretty far into the ground before getting solid.  So my other question is around the stumps of the existing house - if we don't raise it, obviously we don't have to worry about it.  But is it possible to just add some height to the existing stumps or will we need new stumps all round?  And would we need the soil test before knowing the estimated costs of replacing the stumps? 
Sorry if questions are a little dumb - I'm no home renovator or builder by any means.  Just a girl wondering if we have to have a multi level house or if it might be within our budget to have a single level house haha. 
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Chimpangie

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## SilentButDeadly

Can't help you with costs other than suggest somewhere north of $10,000 and perhaps with not much change from $20,000.   
Can only suggest that as long as the existing stumps are OK you may not need replace them. Rather the house could be placed on a new sub-frame that makes up the difference. However, I'd take the advice of a local expert rather than a fool on the internet.

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## ringtail

I think SBD is on the right track. A new set of 200 x 75 bearers laminated to the existing with steel plates would do the trick. Or even some PFC's to eliminate some of the stumps. You can go 2 ways. Go to an engineer and ask for the most cost effective solution or go to a house raiser. Most house raisers have a builders licence so there would no need to engage a builder, as such, unless  you already have one for your extension. Set the house up first and add the extension at the same height.

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## gpkennedy

I may have misread this post but I offer a suggestion. Yellow tongue flooring is 19mm... possibly raise the floor in existing rooms by using yellowtongue directly over existing boards in the old section.  I realise that you may cover the boards in the old place that may have some signifance and skirts and doors will need to be adjusted but its an idea that would be heaps cheaper than raising the whole house. It would also be possible as a DIY (ad)venture and could be done in stages.  Some a consideration of appropriate floor covering for the old place and the extension would need to be decided upon.

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## ringtail

OP said 19 cm not 19 mm  :Biggrin:

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## chimpangie

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. 
I have contacted a couple of house raisers for advice and SilentButDeadly is close to the mark. One suggested that I would have to replace all stumps, which would mean the job would be closer to $20k, while another suggested that we could replace the main supports then add some sort of brace to the others, bringing to around $10-12k.  We are pushing our budget already so this is going to be over what we can afford so multi level house it is. 
The connection from the existing house to the extension is through the middle of the house, which will be the lounge room and the step will run the width of that room, so about 3.5 metres.  We had already considered making the floor height the same through the middle of the house but the bedrooms run off this middle section and we didn't want to have a step down into the bedrooms. We have decided to make a feature of the step up into the new kitchen/dining by adding some strip lighting behind that step for effect. 
Thanks again, no doubt as we begin these renovations I will be probably be back for more advice!

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