A SUNARC Field Guide · Published 2026

Should you lift your home?


What FEMA, the Florida Building Code, and structural engineering actually say about elevating an existing home after Helene and Milton.

SUNARC field guide on lifting your home

After the 2024 hurricane season, thousands of Tampa Bay homeowners are weighing whether to lift, build atop, or rebuild. The decision is more consequential, more regulated, and more expensive than most realize.

We wrote this 7-page field guide to walk you through the parts most homeowners get wrong before they sign with a contractor.

  • The 50% Rule, in plain language (and what it does and does not trigger).
  • The engineering reality of lifting an existing Tampa Bay home.
  • An honest comparison of the three paths: lift, build atop, rebuild.
  • The cost realities most contractors will not lead with.
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If you are navigating a substantial damage decision and want to talk through your specific situation, reach out at info@sunarcgroup.com. We would be glad to walk you through it, no pressure either way.