When flooding becomes the new normal, homeowners are often faced with a brutal question: should you invest tens of thousands into elevating your home, or cut your losses and move to higher ground? The decision isn’t just emotional, it’s deeply financial, logistical, and long-term.
This calculator helps break it down by comparing the real costs, risks, and potential savings behind both options. But before you dive into the numbers, here’s a side-by-side look at what each path really involves.
🏗️ Elevating Your Home
- Average cost: $80,000 to $150,000+
- Timeframe: 3 to 6 months or longer
- Requires: permits, temporary housing, utility rerouting
- Pros: Keeps you in your home
- Cons: Cost overruns, long disruption, structural risks
Ideal for homes with sentimental value or where relocation is not feasible.
🚚 Relocating Instead
- Average cost: $20,000 to $70,000 (after sale)
- Timeframe: 2 to 4 months to close and move
- Requires: selling current home, finding new property
- Pros: Escape from flood zone permanently
- Cons: Emotional toll, market fluctuations, higher cost of safe areas
Makes more sense when flooding is frequent and increasing.
💧 Flood Calculator: Should I Elevate or Relocate?
Compare the real costs of elevating your home versus relocating. Enter your numbers, choose a time horizon, and see total net present costs, break-even, and a simple visual.
🔧 Global Settings
Used to discount future annual costs to today.🏠 Property Snapshot
Used for context only. Outputs compare future states.🏗️ Elevate Option
Upfront project costs plus ongoing annual costs after elevation.
🚚 Relocate Option
Transaction and moving costs plus annual costs at the new location.
