Raising Hope: A record number of homeowners are elevating

Pinellas County, Fla. — The look and feel of hurricane recovery and rebuilding started changing dramatically in 2005 after the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

The house lifting industry gained national visibility in the years that followed and expanded further following other major storms, including Superstorm Sandy, that devastated the northeast in 2012, and the historic flooding in Texas after Hurricane Harvey’s landfall in 2017.

“Once Katrina hit, we started learning about the whole industry, and there really wasn’t an industry before that hurricane,” said JAS Builders Co-owner and CEO Jeff Trosclair.

“When Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey and Long Island, the industry started migrating in that direction and lifting homes up there, but it really has not been something we’ve seen in these numbers here in Florida until recently,” Trosclair continued.

Over the past 12 months since Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Bay Area homeowners in coastal communities and beyond have been opting to elevate their hurricane-damaged homes in record numbers, according to building officials.

“Before the hurricanes, we may have only received calls for a few houses a year, but following Helene and Milton, we received thousands of calls for help from homeowners wanting to protect their property from future storms,” said JAS Builders Founder and Co-Owner Albert Jasuan.

“Now, we’re transforming communities. It’s not just one or two houses per neighborhood. We’re transforming whole neighborhoods and whole streets. Everyone is calling us because they see what their neighbors are doing to stay connected to their communities, and they want to do it as well,” Jasuan added.

Currently, St. Petersburg-based JAS Builders has nearly 100 projects approved in Pinellas County primarily, but also in Citrus and Manatee. The entire process to lift a home takes 10 to 12 months, and the total price can range from $200,000 to $2 million depending on several factors, including the size of the home, structural upgrades and plumbing and electrical modifications.

“Some of these homes have flooded multiple times, and people are tired of dealing with extensive damage and ready to get them up to mitigate their risks,” said Jasuan standing in front of a Treasure Island home where JAS crews are almost done elevating the structure 14-feet high.

“We don’t just lift the home. We get it out of harm’s way forever for the lifetime of the home and the lifetime of the person that wants to be there,” Jasuan continued.

Every project is deeply personal for his co-owner, whose childhood home in New Orleans, where his mother still lives, flooded four times and was eventually elevated with help from FEMA after Hurricane Katrina in 2006.

“Each storm left scars: favorite toys that were lost, family treasures ruined, and my parents shouldering the crushing stress of starting over again. So, this type of work really hits home for me,” said Trosclair.

With a mission of building community resiliency, the co-owners of JAS Builders, along with nearly 200 employees, strive to bring safety, peace of mind and hope to hurricane-damaged communities.