When a House on the Water Starts to Move

A house built over the water or on pilings ages differently from a house on a slab. A corner settles, a beam sags, or a roof leak after a hurricane becomes mold, and an earlier repair does not hold. The same is true of the raised pier-and-beam houses near the water. We started in marine construction, and we repair, renovate, and build new homes, so one contractor can look at the whole structure and compare every option.

Problems We Look At

  • A corner or side that is settling, or a structure that is no longer level
  • Deteriorated, sagging, or broken pilings, beams, sill plates, and floor framing
  • Roof leaks and hurricane damage, with interior water damage and mold
  • Persistent moisture inside a house built over or beside the water
  • Earlier foundation or roof repairs that did not hold

Three Paths, Compared Side by Side

The owner of an aging waterfront structure usually chooses between three paths. We perform all three.

1. Stabilize and Repair

We stabilize the existing structure, repair or replace the roof, find and treat the moisture source, and renovate the interior. The footprint stays the same.

2. Partial Renovation and Expansion

Heavier structural work that keeps part of the existing structure and adds square footage. We build the addition to current parish flood and wind code, even when the original structure is older than that code.

3. Full Redevelopment

Demolition, then a new home built to current flood elevation and Gulf wind load. See our custom homes work for how we build on the water.

How the Comparison Works

The first steps are a conversation, a site visit, and a high-level condition assessment. We then give you an order-of-magnitude cost and the practical construction considerations for each path. The comparison shows where it makes economic sense to preserve the structure, and where a rebuild gives better long-term value.

An order-of-magnitude cost is a planning number. A written, line-item estimate follows when you choose a path.

What the Work Includes

Structural

Foundations, framing, sill plates, beams, shear walls, and load paths. We find the cause of the movement before the repair starts.

Pilings and Over-Water Foundations

We bring in the marine specialty crews this work requires, and we supervise them directly. You keep one point of contact from the first call to the final inspection.

Roof, Water, and Mold

Roof repair and replacement, water-intrusion repair, drying, mold remediation, and reconstruction. If an insurer is involved, we supply the damage documentation an adjuster needs.

Interior Renovation and Additions

Whole-home renovation and additions, with cabinetry and millwork from our own shop in cypress, white oak, and local hardwoods.

Marine-Grade Materials

Hardware and fasteners on waterfront work come from the marine side of our experience. We use stainless or hot-dipped galvanized, as the exposure requires.

Where We Work

  • Lake Pontchartrain south shore: the New Orleans and Jefferson Parish lakefront
  • Lake Pontchartrain north shore: Slidell, Mandeville, Madisonville
  • Rivers and lakes: Lake Maurepas, the Diversion Canal area, and the Tchefuncte, Tickfaw, Blind, and Amite Rivers
  • Across Louisiana: statewide license and insurance

How to Start

Call (985) 255-2435. Tell us what the structure is, where it sits, and what it is doing. We answer the phone, and the supervisor who walks your site is the one who signs the final inspection.

Louisiana General Contractor License CL.71074. Verify any contractor, including us, at the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.