Preliminary works

Your local council may have restrictions around home raising.  In order for funding to be approved, you needed to seek council approval and complete preliminary works.

Note: All preliminary works needed to be completed before getting a quote for home-raising works.

Checking with local council

You needed to contact your local council to check whether your home could be raised before starting preliminary design drawings.

Arrange to speak with a town planner to:

• find out whether any building codes or planning scheme compliance rules apply to your property (e.g. height and boundary set-back restrictions)
• find out whether your local council has minimum habitable floor level requirements
• tell them about the assessed flood level (if available) and 2021–2022 flood event level you need to meet or exceed as outlined in your Home Assessment Report.

If your local council didn't allow you to raise your home, your Resilient Homes Fund (RHF) application for home raising probably would not have been approved.

If the council said that you couldn't raise to the RHF height requirements for funding, you could have:

• requested a relaxation in height restriction
• asked your builder or designer whether they could clarify your situation with council
• engaged a town planner, certifier or architect for a second opinion.

Consider if home raising suits your household

Home raising is a major project. Before you progress further, consider your personal circumstances and whether home raising is the best option for your household.

• Have you considered your finances? Do you have the budget to cover preliminary costs, a possible co-contribution amount and any renovation works not covered by the fund, such as landscaping or other building works? Find out what Home Raising funding covers.
• How will your home function? Are there mobility and access issues to consider for your elevated home?
• How will your home look? Will you be happy with the aesthetics of an elevated home? How will it tie in with the other elements of your home? How will it fit into the surrounding neighbourhood?
• How will it affect the re-sale value of your property?
• Where will you stay while home-raising works are underway? Works can take about 2 months or longer.
• Are you prepared to pack and shift your belongings if required? For example, if you use the underneath of your house for storage, can you clear this area while your home is being raised?
• Have you considered the timing of the home-raising works in relation to other circumstances (e.g. insurance repairs, your availability for builders and contractors, property access, etc.)?
• If you’re renting out the property, are you prepared to lose your rental income while works are underway? Have you considered your obligations to your tenants?

Arranging preliminary design works

Preliminary design works involves hiring multiple contractors to conduct preliminary investigations (such as surveying and soil testing) and design drawings. This step needed to be completed before getting a home raising quote from a builder.

Your builder might have been able to coordinate these works as part of their service.

You could coordinate preliminary works yourself, but be aware you would be taking on more of a project management role.

• Search the local contractor register for services like soil testing and certification
• Search for architects and engineers using these licensed contractor databases
  • Board of Architects of Queensland
  • Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland.

Alternatively, you could hire a principal consultant to coordinate preliminary works for you, such as:

• an architect
• a builder
• a building designer
• an engineer.

For this, you will need to sign a services agreement that outlines everyone’s roles and responsibilities.

Engaging contractors for preliminary works

Contractors are needed to carry out preliminary works. This includes contractors for site assessment and draw or verify designs.

Contractors who assess site characteristics

A surveyor surveys the current ground levels; what the new floor level will be; and the location of stormwater drains, sewer and gas lines.

A soil tester tests the suitability of the soil, which enables the engineer to assess the suitability of the footing design.

Contractors who draw or verify designs

An architect or building designer completes drawings and might act as your principal design consultant to coordinate other contractors.

An engineer (structural and geotechnical) reviews drawings in relation to structural integrity and any impacts on construction from your soil characteristics. They might also act as your principal design consultant to coordinate other contractors.

You may also need:

• a certifier to review drawings in relation to code and planning scheme compliance and approval requirements
• a town planner to submit development approval documentation and liaises with council
• a quantity surveyor to calculate the amount of materials needed for building work and estimate the cost.

Costs and reimbursement

Preliminary investigations and design drawings for eligible works can cost around $15,000.

Reasonable eligible costs to ensure the home raise meets all relevant building code and planning scheme requirements will be reimbursed once your home-raising funding application is approved.

Submit these preliminary works costs with your funding application to QRIDA.

Be aware that reimbursed costs will affect your base funding. For example, if you’re eligible for $150,000 plus a dollar-for-dollar co-contribution, and you‘re reimbursed $15,000 for preliminary works, you will have $135,000 in base funding remaining for home-raising works (before a co-contribution amount).

If you don’t progress with the home-raising works, you won’t be reimbursed for the preliminary costs related to home raising. However, you can still apply for the Resilient Retrofit program and access the full base funding of $50,000.