Fixed-Fee House Raising Proposal
Send your address — get a written proposal within 48 hours.
No obligation. A person reads this — not a bot — and responds within one business day. Not sure whether it even needs approval? Ask — that question is free.
This is your service if
Your Gold Coast, Tweed or Brisbane home sits too low, floods, or has wasted space underneath, and you want it raised and documented properly for approval.
Not quite there yet?
Not sure whether your block is flood-mapped, what the height limit is, or whether the house can be raised at all? Answer that first with a fixed-fee Feasibility Assessment →
What We Document
The raise is the easy part. The paperwork is where projects stall.
A house raise touches flood levels, height limits, setbacks, character overlays and structure all at once. The contractor lifts the house in days; the approval takes months if the drawings leave questions. We prepare the package so the certifier, the engineer and council each get what they need, in the right order.
Measured Drawings of the Existing House
We measure and draw the house as it stands, the starting point for the raised design and the certifier assessment.
Raised Design & Build-Under
Legal-height raise, or full build-under with garage, rumpus, bedrooms or a self-contained area, designed so the floor levels, stairs and headroom work.
Flood Level & Height Compliance
The habitable floor set above the flood planning level for your lot, and the overall height checked against your council’s limit before anything is lodged.
Siting Variations & Character Overlays
Where the raise doesn’t meet standard setbacks, or the house is in a Brisbane pre-1946 character area, we prepare the application council needs.
Engineer & Certifier Coordination
Drawings issued to the structural engineer and your private certifier, with requests for information answered until approval.
Approvals Where You Live
Yes, a house raise needs approval. Every time.
Raising changes the height, the structure and usually the floor level of the home, so it is always assessable work. Which pathway depends on where you are.
Gold Coast & Brisbane (QLD)
Building approval through a private certifier is always required. Planning approval or a siting variation from council is added where the lot is flood-affected, the raise exceeds the height limit, setbacks are not met, or the house sits in a character overlay. Brisbane’s pre-1946 areas are the common trigger.
Tweed Shire (NSW)
A Development Application to Tweed Shire Council, or a Complying Development Certificate through a private certifier where the site and design qualify. Flood-prone land provisions apply across much of the Tweed and set the minimum floor level.
Sequence matters
Drawings, then engineering, then certifier, then contractor. Owners who book the raising contractor first often pay twice for changes. We tell you the order and the pathway before you commit.
How It Works
Four steps from idea to approval.
Tell us the property and what you want to do. We check the zoning, overlays and the likely approval pathway before we quote.
A written proposal within 48 hours, with the scope and the fee agreed before any work starts.
We measure the existing house, design the raise and any build-under, and prepare the drawing set with flood level, height and setback compliance shown for the certifier.
Documentation issued to your certifier or council, with requests for information answered until it is approved.
In Their Words
What clients say, verbatim.
“informed/updated of every single thing in advance”
Asif N. · room addition & permits · Google
“Thank you so much for helping us out as we couldn’t understand the process”
Sampson M. · Google
“professional, patient and easy to deal with”
Alan P. · outdoor kitchen · Google
Common Questions
House raising, answered straight.
Why raise a house on the Gold Coast or in Brisbane?+
The two big drivers are flood response and space. Raising lifts habitable floor levels above the flood planning level, often a requirement for renovation approval on flood-affected lots, and creates usable space underneath for parking, storage or, where height and approvals allow, built-in rooms. On sloping or flood-mapped sites it is frequently more economical than demolishing and rebuilding.
Does house raising need council or certifier approval?+
Yes, always. In Queensland, raising requires building approval through a private certifier, and planning approval can also be triggered where the site is flood-affected, in a character area, or the height exceeds limits. In the Tweed, the pathway is a DA through council or a CDC where the project qualifies. We confirm the pathway for your site before documentation begins.
Can any house be raised?+
Most timber-framed Queenslanders and similar lightweight homes raise well. Slab-on-ground brick homes are far more complex and often uneconomical. Suitability depends on construction type, condition, footings and site access, which is exactly what we assess before recommending you spend money on the project.
What drawings are needed for a house raise?+
Measured drawings of the existing house, the raised design showing new floor levels and structure, a site plan with setbacks and heights, elevations and sections, and the compliance notations for flood level and height. The structural engineer adds the footing and bracing design from our drawings.
Do you organise the raising contractor?+
No. We are building designers, not contractors. We prepare the documentation and coordinate the engineer and certifier; you choose the raising contractor, and our drawings give them something accurate to price. We are happy to work alongside a contractor you already have.
How do fees work?+
Fixed fee, agreed in writing before work begins, based on the house, the scope of the raise or build-under, and the approval pathway required. Send your address and what you are planning and you will have a written proposal within 48 hours.
Get Started
Thinking about raising the house?
Start with the right drawings.
Send your address and what you're planning — fixed-fee proposal within 48 hours.