The joy of building in the flood plane.

DCRC · Sep 18, 2004

We purchased 10 acreas, 30 miles south of Houston, a few months back. I've been planning to have a 60 X 80 steel building built and build a small apartment inside to live in until we get around to building a house. According to the FEMA maps the property is right on the edge of the flood plain.

I'm fortunate to have a friend who does civil engineering. Per his reccomendation we had a topo survey done on a 100' grid and physically tied it in to the FEMA bench mark about 2 miles away.

Just got the survey back and my property is about 3 feet below the 100 year flood plain. So to be on the safe side I will have to build the ground up about 5 feet to reduce the chance of ever flooding and possibly reduce my insurance cost.

According to my engineering friend it's not as simple as just bringing in fill dirt. Any time you add dirt your displacing water storage during a flood. I actually had some dirt brougt in for my driveway. My friend said that depending on the city and there codes they could actually fine you for bringing in fill dirt.

So now I have to look into getting some serious excavation work done. Luckly my friend will do up the plans for a pond/ retention pool. I'm just scared to know how much this excavation work is going to cost.

bgott · Sep 19, 2004

Yep, the joys of living in a flood control area that has been totally mismanaged for years. You and I and others are paying for the major developers being allowed to do anything they wanted for years. You would have to have a retention pond even if you didn't add fill. As I understand it you have to be able to store the amount of water that would fall on your improvement in 2 hours during a 2" per hour rain. I drove by a trailer park that they built next to some property I own in Channelview not too long ago and was amazed by the size of the ditch the guy had dug under the back of the trailers. Once I found out why I decided to sell my property. I could put four or five trailers on my .7 of an acre and still have room for a retention pond but how much is the liability insurance going to be on a swamp? Their theory is that the water is going to be absorbed by the ground but it takes a month for the water to soak in in the low spots on the lot as it is. I've always wanted a mosquito farm! I think a bunch of people are going to waste a bunch of money digging holes in the ground before the powers that be wise up and have the large developers spring for the drainage ditches they ought to be paying for in the first place. Oh, wait a minute, they pay major bribes, er, campain contributions. Never mind, we're just screwed. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

roho · Sep 19, 2004

Mornin neighbor, live bout 30 miles east of Houston(Liberty Co.) & sound like U got a nice place & was hoping U will honor us with PIC's as progress advances! Really interested in garage/barn/apartment design! Oh BTW, Ain't hardly a spot in HouTex area that ain't flood pronge, 100 floodplain down here means it's about to flood with/in 6 months of purchase! Just make U'rself a high roost(hehehe) /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

40Kchicks · Sep 19, 2004

Last month I had to do some major excavation for a road that I am putting in. I got a bid for excavation of $4800. The trouble is that the new road is replacing a road that I have to use so there was only a two week window that the excavation had to be done in. Well my excavators never came so I called and they said that they were so far behind that I wasn’t even on the schedule yet. I panicked and called a friend that owns a construction company for advice and he said that he would rent me the equipment and get me going on my own but he was also too busy to do the job. So we rented a JD 120C (30,000lb) excavator for a couple of days. I found it very fun. I run loaders and tractors all the time so I found the machine very easy to use. In the end I got my excavation done for the rental price of $1100. I also learned a new skill and enjoyed myself.

My advice, if you like tractor work and you don’t want a big excavation bill, is to get a bid from an excavator then go down to Hertz or united rentals and asks what it would cost for a big excavator for a week. If the price difference is worth the effort on your part rent it and have some fun. They are really easy to use and do an incredible amount of earth moving.

Eric

Kyle_in_Tex · Sep 19, 2004

I actually lived in Manvel back during the two major floods in 1979. The first flood, it rained 30" in a 24 hour period on a Friday night and Saturday. The 2nd flood on the very next weekend, it rained 24" in 24 hours. I actually missed both floods visiting friends in Victoria. My aunt and uncle (whom I was living with) told me the neighbor woke them up around midnight with water just about to enter their home. Believe me, cans became invaluable, any canned food was use to elevate furniture up a few precious inches. Just about the time the house was aired out, the next weekend came and here we go again. Its been years since I've been thru there, I'd probably not recognize the place.

Henro · Sep 19, 2004

Just trying to think outside the box....

Have you considered building something on stilts? I mean a post type building with the floor above ground. It could be 5' up, or better 8 feet or more, so you could park things under it and even put something that would not be damaged by a flood down there.

Posts or pillars would not displace much water.

Just a thought. Recently I saw some wetlands and could not help but think it would be the ideal place to have a home, if there was just a little access...put the place on stilts, make some water paths through the stuff that grows in the water...enjoy the wildlife...

I think you can do something that will work well for you if you think outside the box... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You don't need a conventional home to be happy... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

DCRC · Sep 19, 2004

( Really interested in garage/barn/apartment design )

I have a satellite business and visit alot of homes and have seen alot of people building homes/ apartments inside metal buildings. Some are very nice.

My thoughts are to build a 15' X 60' living area (apartment) in one end of a 60 X 80 building. I could just park a mobile home inside one end of the building? Don't think the wife would go for that.

( 100 floodplain down here means it's about to flood with/in 6 months of purchase! )

That's the truth. With all the development that has gone on in this area it has gotten pretty bad. There are neighbor hoods that were once considered high and dry that now end up under water everytime a hard rain comes.

( Have you considered building something on stilts? I mean a post type building with the floor above ground. It could be 5' up, or better 8 feet or more, so you could park things under it and even put something that would not be damaged by a flood down there )

Now that's an idea with the house. But I just can't see doing it with the shop.

I'm planning to build a big pond anyway. Just looks like I will have to do it first to build my pad sites.

( Its been years since I've been thru there, I'd probably not recognize the place. )

Pretty soon Manvel, Pearland and Alvin will be one big city!

8NTX · Sep 20, 2004

I thought you had to bring the site grade level to 3 ft. above the level of the 100 yr. flood before you could build.

DCRC · Sep 20, 2004

( Generally, in most counties or cities, the top of a new building slab is required 1.0 or 1.5' above the 100 yr floodplain elevation. We typically go 2' above to allow a little room for error in the construction of the slab. )

per my engineer friend. May be different depending on where you are.

Ronbo · Sep 25, 2004

email at orderstuff@sbcglobal.net and tell me where you live. I live on CR 81. Iowa colony, but Manvel is across the street (ETJ). YOu can get dirt from the new high school for $30 a load. May even be able to get it cheaper.

Cherry concrete cah give you crushed concrete for your driveway. They are the cheapest arount. YOu can do most anything you want, butManvel does have permit requirements.

Welcom to the area.

Ron