Q. How much does it cost to elevate or move a house or building?
A. The cost is based on the size of the house, the distance the house is to be moved, and the difficulty of the move.
Q. How do I get an estimate?
A. Give us a call and supply the following information: What is the length and width of the house? How high is the house currently off the ground? How high do you want it to be off the ground when the building is moved? How high is it from the bottom of the house to the peak (highest point on the roof)? How wide is the eave sticking out from the side of the house? What is the most open route that you think we can take from present to future location?
Q. What is included in the price of a move?
A. Basic move: we slide our steel in, pick the building up, set it on our steel, move it and set it down on customer prepared foundation and hold it on our steel and cribbing (wood blocks) for your new foundation or set it on our trailer or rollers and move it to your new location and either back it over your completed pier foundation or leave it on our steel and cribbing awaiting your new foundation.
Any additional work (disconnecting utilities, demolition, construction, etc) has an additional fee. This can only be determined after a site visit.
Q. What damage can be expected during the move?
A. Minor sheetrock or plaster cracking may occur. Moving a wide structure on narrow roads can also cause minor damage to outside of house. Fifty percent of the buildings we move have minor sheetrock cracking and fifty percent do not. Normally, $100 in material will repair any damage that occurs. We have not had any structural damage during a move for the 30+ years we have been in business. We normally cradle the bottom of your house with cross-steel and move it on larger main steel and dollies.
Q. Who disconnects the utilities?
A. Your local provider will remove the meter and disconnect the service. We can remove wire, air conditioning ducts and pipes that are necessary in order to place our steel beams under the structure for an additional charge.
Q. How many miles can a house be moved?
A. This mostly depends on fiber optic overhead wires, oak and magnolia limbs overhanging the road, and bridges. The SCDOT (South Carolina Department of Transportation) must approve our route. Housemovers cannot legally travel on Interstate highways (I-26, I-526, I-95, etc.).
Q. What permits are required?
A. First, talk to the county or city that you’re going to move into and see what they say their requirements are. Explain the entire project to them. Take pictures of the building when you talk to them, a site plan which shows a plat of the property where the house is going and an accurate location of the structure on the property, a foundation plan and, if needed, an elevation certificate. Find out if the structure must meet Southern or International building codes (you may need a contractor to help you out). You may need a local moving permit and building permit, which are obtained by the homeowner. JOHNSON HOUSE MOVERS will be responsible for state permits from the SCDOT, as we are licensed by the State of South Carolina and not a licensed building contractor. Normally we do not do demolition or construction.
