McHugh Builders has raised 7+ homes across Brigantine and the surrounding areas. We manage the entire process — structural engineering, permitting, foundation construction, and full finish restoration — so you’re not juggling five different contractors and hoping they communicate with each other.
Every property in Brigantine sits inside a FEMA-designated flood hazard area. That’s not a scare tactic — it’s a fact of living on a barrier island where the highest point of land is roughly 10 feet above sea level and bayside streets sit at just 5 to 6 feet. After Superstorm Sandy caused over $88 million in insured flood losses across Brigantine alone, home raising went from a “nice to have” to a necessity for hundreds of island homeowners.
If you live in Brigantine, chances are home raising is something you haven’t just thought about but have actually seen being done in your neighborhood. Like this home raise we did at 4177 Atlantic Brigantine Blvd. The reason locals are raising their homes are all connected and centered around three things:
If the cost of repairing, renovating, or improving your home equals or exceeds 50% of the structure's market value, Brigantine's construction code requires you to bring the entire structure into compliance with current FEMA standards. That means elevating to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) for your specific lot. We've seen homeowners come to us planning a kitchen remodel and discover they've triggered the substantial improvement threshold — at which point, raising the house becomes mandatory, not optional. This is something the City of Brigantine Construction Office (609-266-7600 ext. 260) can help you determine before you commit to any project.
Brigantine properties built before 1975 — the city's pre-FIRM cutoff — have historically received subsidized flood insurance rates. Those subsidies are being phased out. Homeowners with structures sitting below BFE are watching premiums climb by thousands per year. FEMA data shows that raising your home even one foot above BFE can reduce flood insurance premiums by roughly 30%. For many homeowners, the long-term insurance savings alone justify the cost of the raise.
Brigantine is exposed to flooding from both the Atlantic Ocean and the back bays. Nor'easters, hurricanes, and even heavy king tides push water onto bayside streets that sit 5–6 feet above sea level. A properly elevated home keeps your living space, mechanicals, and belongings above surge levels that would otherwise cause catastrophic damage.
Home raising costs vary significantly based on the size of the structure, how high it needs to go, your foundation type, and lot access. Here is what is typically included in your project cost:
Full turnkey home raising project Includes:
If your property is in the V (Velocity Zone) it requires deep-driven pilings instead of standard foundations which increase cost. Additionally, some factors like, Multi-story homes or being in a tight lot where heavy equipment access is limited can ultimately make your project more expensive.
If your property is smaller and a single-story home, this reduces complexity, which ultimately reflects in your project cost.
We provide detailed proposals after reviewing your elevation certificate, surveying the lot, and confirming the engineering requirements. Call us at 609-513-9269 for a free site feasibility consultation — we’ll walk your property and give you an honest assessment of what the project entails before you spend a dollar on engineering drawings.
We don’t just jack the house up and hand you the keys. McHugh Builders manages every phase of the elevation from initial assessment through final inspection. Here’s how it works:
Our owner, Ted McHugh meets you at the property. We review your elevation certificate (or help you obtain one), confirm your FEMA flood zone and BFE, assess the existing structure and foundation, and evaluate lot access for equipment. You'll leave this meeting knowing whether a raise makes sense for your home — and if it does, roughly what you're looking at.
We coordinate with structural engineers and architects to design the new foundation system and develop the lifting plan. For VE zone properties, this includes geotechnical analysis to determine piling depth and type. We handle all permit applications with the City of Brigantine Construction Office so you don't have to navigate the paperwork.
Before the house goes up, existing decks, porches, stairs, and landscaping are removed. Utilities are disconnected by licensed tradespeople. The perimeter is excavated to expose the existing foundation and create access for steel beams.
Steel I-beams are positioned beneath the floor framing at calculated support points. A synchronized hydraulic jacking system raises the entire structure evenly — typically inches at a time — until it reaches the target elevation. The house is temporarily supported on cribbing stacks while the new foundation is built beneath it.
Depending on your flood zone, we build the appropriate foundation — whether that's deep-driven timber pilings, helical piers, poured concrete columns, or CMU block walls with proper flood vents. Every foundation is engineered to meet or exceed current code for your specific zone.
The home is lowered onto the new foundation and secured. Utilities are reconnected, new stairs, decks, and porches are built, and the exterior is finished. We handle the final inspection and help you obtain your updated elevation certificate — the document you'll need to get your flood insurance premiums recalculated.
Our owner Ted McHugh is a lifelong Brigantine resident with a BS in Engineering Technology and over 20 years of construction experience, including large-scale project management for a major contractor in the Philadelphia area. He didn’t learn about barrier island construction from a textbook — he grew up here, lives here, and has built and raised homes on this island!
That local knowledge matters because every block of Brigantine is different. Lots near the North End have different soil conditions than the Cove area. Properties along Lagoon Boulevard deal with certain flood dynamics that oceanfront homes on the South End don’t see. We know which areas require deeper pilings, which blocks have tight access that changes your equipment plan, and which neighborhoods have specific zoning considerations that can affect your raise.
We are here for you long after your raise! We find that many home raises turn into larger renovation projects where homeowners decide to reconfigure the ground level, add a garage, update the exterior, or even build a full addition while the house is already elevated. As a full-service custom home builder, we can handle all of that under one contract instead of bringing in a second builder to finish what we started.
If you’re considering a home raise in Brigantine, Longport, Ventnor, Margate, or anywhere on the barrier islands, we’ll meet you at the property for a free site feasibility consultation. No sales pitch — just an honest look at what your project involves, what it’ll cost, and whether it makes sense for your situation.
Call us directly at 609-513-9269 or fill out our contact form to schedule a time to meet!
We raise homes across Brigantine and the surrounding barrier islands, including Longport, Margate, Ventnor, and more. We also serve mainland communities in Absecon and Northfield — areas that face their own flood zone challenges despite not sitting on the ocean. Every town has different BFE requirements, soil conditions, and permitting processes, and we know how to navigate all of them.
The physical lift typically takes 1–2 weeks, but the complete project — from engineering and permits through final restoration — runs 3 to 6 months depending on scope. VE zone projects with pile foundations take longer than straightforward AE zone raises. Permitting timelines in Brigantine can also add 4–8 weeks to the front end.
Yes. You cannot occupy the home during the lifting and foundation phases. Most homeowners are out of the house for 2–4 months depending on the scope of restoration work after the set-down. We can give you a more specific timeline once we assess your property.
Minor cosmetic cracking in drywall or tile can occur, but structural damage is extremely rare when the lift is engineered and executed properly. We use synchronized hydraulic systems that raise the entire structure evenly, which minimizes stress on the frame. Any cosmetic touch-ups are addressed during the restoration phase.
Absolutely — and it's often the smartest financial move. Since the house is already elevated and the foundation is being rebuilt, the incremental cost to add living space or a garage is significantly lower than doing it as a separate project later. Many of our home raising clients choose to add ground-level garages, storage, or even full home additions while the structure is up.
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) provision in flood insurance policies can help offset elevation costs. Brigantine's Construction Office can provide information on currently available programs. We recommend checking with them early in the planning process — grant funding is limited and applications take time.
Start by finding out your property's BFE and current elevation. If your lowest floor is below BFE, you're at elevated flood risk and paying higher insurance premiums. If you're planning renovations that exceed 50% of your home's assessed improvement value, you'll likely be required to raise. The Brigantine Construction Office (609-266-7600 ext. 260) can help you determine both your BFE and your substantial improvement status at no charge.
