FEMA Elevation Grants & Flood Insurance Help

Raising a house is a big expense. Here is a straight explanation of the help that may be out there, who controls it, and how to get in line.

Ask Us About Your House

First, the Honest Part

Folks call us all the time saying they heard "FEMA will pay to raise my house." Sometimes that's true. A lot of the time it isn't - or it is, but not the way people think.

The money mostly comes through two doors: your flood insurance policy, and grant programs that run through your city or county. Homeowners usually can't just apply to FEMA directly. Knowing which door you're standing at saves a lot of frustration.

We're house movers, not grant writers or insurance agents, and the rules change. Use this page to know what questions to ask - then confirm the details with your insurance agent and your local floodplain office.

Two-story home raised on a new elevated foundation to get above the flood level

Door #1

Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) - Money Inside Your Flood Policy

If you have a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy, you probably have ICC coverage and may not know it.

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What It Is

ICC is extra coverage built into NFIP flood policies. It pays up to $30,000 toward bringing a flood-damaged house up to current floodplain rules - and elevation is the most common way to do that.

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When It Kicks In

Generally when your community declares the house substantially damaged by a flood (damage at 50% or more of the building's value), or when it has repetitive loss damage under your community's rules.

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What It Can Pay For

Elevating the house, relocating it, or demolishing it. (Floodproofing is only for non-residential buildings.) It is filed separately from your regular flood claim.

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It Can Stack With Grants

You can assign your ICC money to your community so it counts toward the local share of a FEMA mitigation grant. Ask your floodplain administrator about this before you spend it.

Door #2

FEMA Mitigation Grants - Through Your City or County

Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA). In Texas, this program is run by the Texas Water Development Board for FEMA. It is aimed at homes insured under the NFIP that have flooded repeatedly. Here is the key thing: property owners can't apply directly. Your city, county or district applies, and you get onto their list.

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). This money opens up after a presidential disaster declaration. The state decides how it gets used, and local governments sign homeowners up. When it opens, the window to get on the list can be short - don't wait.

So what do you actually do? Call your city or county floodplain administrator and tell them you want your home elevated and want to be considered for mitigation funding. Ask whether they are applying in the next round, and what they need from you.

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Get These Ready Now

Your elevation certificate. It shows how high your lowest floor sits compared to the flood level. Almost every program and insurance discussion starts here.
Your flood claim history. Dates and amounts of past flood claims on the house.
Your NFIP policy. Confirm the policy is active - most of this help depends on it.
Photos of the house. Each side, plus the foundation. We can use these to give you a ballpark too.

Where We Come In

How EHM Helps With a Grant or ICC Project

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A Real Price for Your Paperwork

Programs need realistic costs. We look at the house and give you a written estimate for the elevation work.

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Experience With Program Rules

Grant and ICC jobs come with inspections, documentation and set elevations. We are used to working inside those rules.

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One Company, Start to Finish

Our own crews lift the house and set it on its new foundation. You are not stuck coordinating five different companies.

FEMA, Grants & ICC - Common Questions

Sometimes, but usually not directly. Help comes through ICC coverage in your flood policy after qualifying damage, or through mitigation grants that your city or county applies for. Talk to your floodplain administrator and your insurance agent.

Up to $30,000 toward bringing a qualifying flood-damaged home into compliance - for example by elevating it. It is separate from your building and contents claim.

For the main programs, no. In Texas, Flood Mitigation Assistance applications are submitted by local governments through the Texas Water Development Board. Your job is to get your house on your community's list.

Almost certainly. It is the starting point for grant programs, ICC claims and flood insurance pricing. If you don't have one, a licensed surveyor can do it.

Be careful here. Starting work before approval can make a project ineligible for grant money. Always check with the program before anything gets torn up.

Elevation is one of the biggest factors in flood insurance pricing, so getting the lowest floor higher usually helps. Your agent can run the numbers with an updated elevation certificate.

Keep Reading

Related Services & Guides

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Get a Written Estimate for Your Elevation

Whether you are applying for a grant, using ICC money or paying your own way, it starts with a real number. Send us a few details and we will set up a free on-site visit.

📞 (409) 750-3448