Raising your home can protect it from flooding and add a whole new level of living space. Here's what to check before you start, from flood levels to council overlays.
Many of Brisbane’s older homes sit low to the ground in suburbs that have flooded before. Raising the house can lift living areas clear of floodwater and, at the same time, create a whole new ground floor for bedrooms, a rumpus room or a garage. It’s a big project, so it pays to understand what’s involved before you start.
Step 1: Find out your flood risk
Brisbane City Council publishes flood information for every property. Its FloodWise Property Report is a free, property-specific report showing the types of flooding that can affect your address and the expected flood levels. Other councils in south-east Queensland, including Logan and Redland, have similar flood mapping tools.
This matters because if your property is in a flood overlay area, council rules usually set a minimum floor level for habitable rooms. That level affects how high the house needs to go, and whether you can put bedrooms or living areas on the new ground floor at all.
Step 2: Check for character or heritage overlays
A lot of the homes people want to raise are Queenslanders and other pre-war houses, and many of them are covered by a character or heritage overlay. In Brisbane, homes built before 1947 in certain areas are often protected under the City Plan’s traditional building character overlay.
Raising a character home is commonly possible, but there may be limits on how high it goes, how the new ground level is built in, and what happens to the front of the house. These homes may need a council planning approval in addition to a building approval, so it’s worth checking early.
Step 3: Approvals and engineering
House raising always needs a building approval, which is issued by a building certifier. Before that, you’ll need:
- Design drawings showing the raised house and the new ground floor
- Structural engineering for the new posts or walls, footings and any bracing
- A soil test, so footings are designed for your site
- Planning approval if an overlay or setback rule requires it
At ADG, this sits in our preliminary stage. We coordinate the design, engineering and certification so the building work starts with everything approved.
Step 4: Plan the services
When a house goes up, everything connected to it has to follow: plumbing and drainage, electrical, gas, stormwater and sometimes the NBN connection. In flood-affected areas it’s also smart to keep electrical points, switchboards and hot water systems as high as practical, and to use flood-resilient materials on the ground floor. Concrete floors, tiles and moisture-resistant linings recover far better after water than carpet and standard plasterboard.
Step 5: Think about how you’ll live during the build
Whether you can stay in the house depends on the stage of works. During the lift itself and while services are disconnected, you’ll need to be out. Many families move out for some or all of the project, so build that into your budget and timing.
What does the process look like?
Every raise is different, but our projects generally follow these stages:
- Slab and frame: new footings, posts and the structure for the ground floor
- Roof and enclose
- Rough-in and linings: plumbing, electrical and walls
- Waterproofing and tiling for any new wet areas
- Practical completion and handover
For a broader overview, read House raising in Brisbane: how it works.
Is it worth it?
For many families, raising is the most efficient way to add space without losing yard, and in flood-affected streets it can also reduce the damage and disruption a flood causes. The key is getting the levels, approvals and design right from the start.
ADG has raised homes across Brisbane, including in Wynnum and Graceville. See our house raising page and recent projects, or book an onsite consultation to talk through your home.
This article is general information only. Flood levels and overlay rules are specific to each property, so always check your council’s current information for your address.
