If the real cost of such a move is even a fraction of $400K perhaps a viable alternate is to build a new house uphill of the present one and remove the old one. Draconian fix to be sure, but if you're not dealing with a historic structure it's then the bottom line that counts.

BTW, PTM is involved in a move of an interurban station of similar dimensions and the costs being discussed are well below $200K, let alone $400K. You might want to talk to SRB at PTM for a contact.

Becky (and hopefully the rest of us) already know the 400K is an artificial construct made possible by FEMA and in reality it can be done for much less - it was 30 years ago that I was involved in cutting a house in 2, moving the parts across the street, and rejoining them which cost less than $10,000 turnkey. I also had an old post and beam house jacked that I had built some internal temporary supports in so I could replace a rotted sill for a few hundred, done with a steel beam and a package of hydraulic jacks controlled by a single manifold and pump. Granted 3 decades have gone by, but we're still in a stalled jobless recovery, so prices should not have gone up that high.

I'd suggest working with local sources and lining it up as a fill in job to keep people and assets active in between FEMA sponsored events......when the 400K subsidized jobs run out, contractors are still going to want to keep their equipment and crews employed.

dave

Given the right contacts, that might be possible. In 1987, one of the big banana choppers was used to relocate the Cape Poge lighthouse in Massachusetts. The lighthouse is a wooden structure about 35 feet tall and was endangered by erosion. The US Coast Guard prepared a new foundation for the lighthouse and the Army literally picked the lighthouse up and set it on the new foundation. It took all day as the lighthouse had to have it's lantern removed to get it under the helicopter's maximum takeoff weight and moved separately. The helicopter had to refuel as they carried the minimum fuel necessary to allow them to lift the structure.

We actually did look at dismantling and moving the house. It would be a ton more work, but would mean we were sure of all the structure, including the kitchen floor. I'd still rather move it intact if possible. (ETA: There are also severe political considerations. We've already sold our mineral rights, so the county might not be as eager to deny a permit to build new, but nobody knows when they're going to pounce on a parcel they want.)

And I spoke too soon about the rainstorms...Saturday into Sunday, huge storms and probable flash flooding. Again. I have lived here all my life, and there was a single time before 1990 when water reached the driveway in front of this office/house (Hurricane Juan, 1985.) . Since 1990, it's been an annual threat. The higher I can get this place and the more solid the foundation, the better.