Raising a Historic Home in Charleston: How the Elevation Design Guidelines Work

For owners of older homes in low-lying parts of Charleston, raising the house is a question that comes up sooner or later. It is a big project, and in the historic districts it is also a design question: how do you lift a house several feet without losing the proportions and street presence that make it historic? In 2019 the City of Charleston answered that with a formal set of design guidelines.

This post explains how those guidelines work, how the Board of Architectural Review handles an elevation, and how flood rules like freeboard and the 50 percent rule fit in. It describes process only. It is not engineering, legal, or insurance advice, and every elevation project needs its own professional team.

The 2019 Design Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings

The City's Board of Architectural Review adopted its Design Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings on July 24, 2019. They came out of two public workshops, in November 2017 and March 2018, with architects, engineers, contractors, and preservationists.

The document states the city's position plainly: it concluded that the best way to preserve historic structures over the long term was to support elevating them to the FEMA requirement. In other words, the city treats a well-designed elevation as a preservation tool, not a threat to the building.

The guidelines are organized around four areas: the streetscape and context, site design, foundation design, and architecture and preservation.

How Review Works by Building Category

Charleston rates historic buildings by category, and the category drives how an elevation is reviewed.

Category 1 and Category 2 Buildings

The city's highest-rated buildings, rated Exceptional and Excellent, need board approval for any elevation, and every preservation and architecture guideline is mandatory for them. The document encourages owners of these buildings to seek a FEMA variance so the building is raised only as high as needed to avoid the flood hazard.

Category 3 and Category 4 Buildings

For these buildings, staff can approve an elevation of three feet or less. Anything over three feet goes to the board.

Documentation

In every category, an approved elevation requires documentation of the existing building: as-built elevations, floor plans, a site plan, and photographs. That record preserves what the house looked like before it moved.

Sister Houses

Charleston has many groups of matching houses built together. The guidelines note that the first house in a group of sister houses to be elevated sets the precedent for the rest, and the BAR should demand the highest quality of design for it.

Our guide to BAR approval covers the review areas and fee structure in more detail.

What the Guidelines Say About Design

Foundations

New foundations should follow Charleston's tradition of elevated foundations. The guidelines call for a solid wall under the main body of the house, especially at the street front, piers at the piazza with infill screening, and traditional masonry. New material should match the historic foundation, with salvaged material reused where possible.

Screening Between Piers

Infill between piers should be recessed louvers or custom lattice. The guidelines specifically reject beachy horizontal slats and stock lattice. Vents belong on the sides and rear, though decorative ironwork vents may be acceptable at the front.

Stairs

A distinct stair connection to the sidewalk is preferred, and masonry entry stairs are preferred. Stairs should generally sit in front of or within the piazza rather than extending off the side of the house.

Piazzas

The piazza screen and its door surround, steps, and railing should stay at their current elevation where possible, with the stairs inside the piazza and the screen height absorbing the change. If a house goes up a full story, the entry and piazza screen should stay at the current ground level. The goal is to keep the street-level experience of the house intact. Our post on Charleston piazzas explains why that screen matters so much.

Parking Underneath

Parking under a house raised six feet or more is strongly discouraged unless it cannot be seen from the street, and garage doors on front elevations are prohibited.

Landscape and Fencing

Planter walls of about 30 inches maximum are recommended to soften the change in height. Front fencing should be fairly transparent, such as wrought iron or wood picket.

Chimneys and Moving the House

For chimneys, the preferred approach is to raise the chimney with the house, followed by raising the house around it and extending it in matching materials. Extending it only above the roof is least preferred. A house may be moved on its lot only when staying in place would prevent reasonable stairs, and never to make room for additions or parking.

Flood Rules That Drive the Height

Base Flood Elevation and Freeboard

Base flood elevation is the level of a flood with a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any year. Design flood elevation is the base flood elevation plus freeboard, an added margin. According to the city's Floodplain Development page, freeboard is two feet for new construction and one foot for a substantial improvement.

Flood Zones

The city's flood zone page identifies AE, Coastal A, and VE as zones within the Special Flood Hazard Area, and X as outside it. The zone your house sits in affects what is required when you renovate.

The 50 Percent Rule

The city defines a substantial improvement as work whose cumulative cost over five years reaches at least 50 percent of the structure's market value. Substantial damage is damage of any origin reaching the same threshold. When a building crosses that line, it generally has to be brought into compliance with current flood rules, which often means elevation.

How Historic Buildings Are Treated

Federal floodplain rules treat historic structures differently. FEMA's bulletin on historic structures explains that the definition of substantial improvement excludes alterations to a historic structure as long as the work does not prevent its continued designation, and variances are available when they are the minimum needed to preserve historic character. A historic structure under the federal definition includes buildings individually listed on or eligible for the National Register, contributing buildings in a registered historic district, and buildings on certified state or local inventories. The city's 2015 flood ordinance notice likewise states that exceptions are made for historic buildings.

In practice this means the path for a historic house can differ from the path for a newer one. Because the details depend on the specific building's status, owners should confirm with the city's Floodplain Manager how their property is treated before planning a project.

Documentation for Flood Compliance

Flood compliance work requires a FEMA Elevation Certificate completed by a South Carolina licensed surveyor or engineer, and a Substantial Improvement Package submitted before the project is finished.

Assembling the Team

Historic Charleston Foundation notes that elevating a home under BAR jurisdiction requires an architectural drawing package, may require a public hearing, and usually calls for an architect. Most projects also involve a structural engineer, a licensed surveyor, and a house-moving contractor experienced with historic masonry and framing.

Funding Programs

The city's Flood Mitigation Resources page lists federal programs including FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance, Flood Mitigation Assistance grants for acquisition and elevation, and NFIP Increased Cost of Compliance coverage of up to $30,000 for substantially damaged buildings. The same page states the city did not anticipate applying for elevation grants in the upcoming cycle, and some of its content dates to 2019, so check current availability directly with the city.

What This Means for Buyers

When you look at an older home in a flood zone, the questions are practical ones. What zone is the house in? What is its building category? Has it been elevated, and if so, was the work documented with an elevation certificate? A house that has already been raised under the 2019 guidelines, with its piazza and street presence intact, is a very different property from one where that project still lies ahead. Our post on wind, hail, and flood coverage as budget line items covers the ongoing cost side.

FAQ

Does Charleston allow historic homes to be raised?

Yes. The city adopted Design Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings in 2019 and treats well-designed elevation as a long-term preservation tool.

Do I need BAR approval to elevate my house?

In the historic districts, yes. Category 3 and 4 buildings raised three feet or less can be approved by staff. Higher elevations and all Category 1 and 2 buildings go to the board.

What is freeboard in Charleston?

Freeboard is the extra height required above base flood elevation. The city requires two feet for new construction and one foot for a substantial improvement.

What is the 50 percent rule?

If improvements over a five-year period, or damage from any cause, reach 50 percent of a building's market value, the building generally has to meet current flood requirements. Historic structures can be treated differently, so confirm with the city's Floodplain Manager.

Can I park under my house after raising it?

The guidelines strongly discourage parking under a house raised six feet or more unless it cannot be seen from the street, and prohibit garage doors on the front.

Conclusion

Raising a historic house in Charleston is a major undertaking, but it is no longer uncharted. The 2019 guidelines set out how to keep foundations, stairs, and piazzas looking like Charleston while getting the living space above the water. Pair them with a clear read of the flood rules and the right professional team, and elevation becomes a way to keep a historic house in service for another century.

If you are weighing an older home and want to understand the full picture, explore our neighborhood guides, see our current listings, or reach out.