Florida homeowner lifts house 24 feet to avoid flooding

Florida homeowner – In Madeira Beach, Florida, a Pinellas County homeowner is lifting her house 24 feet after flooding during the 2024 hurricane season, a rare project meant to reduce future flood risk despite a price tag of about $575,000.

By the time construction crews finished the physical lift—started in February and completed by April—one detail already stood out to anyone watching: most Florida homes being elevated are raised far less.

In Pinellas County. on Florida’s Gulf Coast. a homeowner who asked not to be identified is elevating her house 24 feet into the air in a bid to avoid future flooding after repeated storm damage. The effort is being handled by Modern House and Building Movers. and it has drawn widespread attention because of its unusual scale.

Pinellas County. surrounded by water on three sides. has one of the highest concentrations of properties in FEMA-designated flood zones in the U.S. according to local floodplain data. For this homeowner—reportedly in Madeira Beach—the decision followed flooding during the 2024 hurricane season. a stretch of storms that left the state with widespread losses.

That year included Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which brought storm surge and flooding across Florida. The damage generated tens of thousands of insurance claims and billions of dollars in losses. The homeowner’s project. described in reporting by Tampa’s WFLA News Channel 8. has become a visible answer to a question many residents are asking after every storm: what does it take to keep a home—and stay in it?.

Kristi Robinson, who works with Modern House and Building Movers, told WFLA that 24 feet is not typical. “Typically, we do 12 to 14 feet, sometimes 10. But 24 feet, this is the first,” Robinson said.

The plan is tied to more than just flood protection. The unusually tall elevation is partly due to plans to add a second floor. But turning that design into reality has been slow and labor-intensive. The process took about a year and a half from contract signing to permitting before work began, WFLA reported.

Robinson described how the lifting is done: crews build structural columns around the house. install beams. and then gradually raise the building before removing temporary supports. “They will go in and they will form columns around this house… then they’ll build the beams. and then they’ll start removing the columns. ” Robinson explained.

Even after the physical lift, the work is not finished. The homeowner told WFLA the elevation alone cost about $575,000, with additional work still underway. That includes new walls, flooring, stucco, and paint. The project is expected to be completed by December.

The price has not stopped the homeowner—or the company—from framing the move as a way to protect what’s already there. Robinson said the investment reflects a desire to preserve community character while improving safety. “A lot of these homes are homes they grew up in… they want to stay in their home. This is an option where they can stay,” she said. “We want to see homes and safety… when or if we ever do have a flood again. they won’t have a problem with that.”.

Hurricanes and Flooding Driving Change

The project arrives after a particularly destructive period for Florida. In 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the Gulf Coast in quick succession, bringing storm surge, heavy rainfall, and tornado outbreaks. The combined impact led to over 78,000 flood insurance claims, with estimated losses potentially exceeding $10 billion.

The National Hurricane Center says storm surge and flooding—not wind—account for the majority of hurricane-related deaths and damage. For homeowners in the path of those risks, elevating a home can become more than a construction choice. It becomes a strategy.

What People Are Saying

The decision to raise a house 24 feet has sparked debate online. On X, user @garydruckercic, who lists himself as a commercial insurance broker, wrote: “Smart move. I always tell my Florida clients to lift the house first and call the insurance company second. That is just sound advice.”

Peter Draschman, a Florida realtor according to his X profile, said: “That’s wild!. FEMA could have paid up to 100 percent to elevate this home. If the owner had 4 NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] claims in a 10 year window they could have been approved for the Flood Mitigation Assistance program.”.

User @jzell2285, a microbiologist by their profile, wrote: “I can’t imagine local ordinances will allow that? Building codes n such. I’m guessing the pallets are just temporary while they put the real supports in?”

User Dan McGrath (@IRMAARetirement), author and creator of the IRMAA Certified Financial Planner Designation, said: “No one ever plans for the future. How will this homeowner navigate the stairs when they are older?”

And sharing an image of another elevated home, user @ChaosCruxFL, described on X as an “Ops architect turned AI builder,” wrote: “They are doing this to store RV’s underneath, there are several on Madeira Beach like this.”

For residents watching the cycle of storms and repairs. the sight of a house lifted nearly two dozen feet into the air is hard to ignore. In Pinellas County—where flood zones overlap with daily life—this homeowner’s decision offers a stark reminder of how high the stakes have become. and how far some people are willing to go to stay.

Florida Pinellas County Madeira Beach flooding home elevation hurricanes storm surge FEMA flood zones insurance claims Modern House and Building Movers Kristi Robinson National Hurricane Center