Lacombe is quiet, wooded and close to the water, and much of it is low. Areas near Bayou Lacombe and the Lake Pontchartrain shore are exposed to storm surge and to heavy rain that has nowhere to go. Homeowners here have seen water come in more than once.
Raising homes in Lacombe
Lacombe has a mix of raised camp-style homes, pier-and-beam houses and slab homes. Each can be elevated:
- Pier and beam house raising for homes already off the ground
- Slab house raising for slab-on-grade homes
- New pilings where soils or flood zone rules call for them
Plan for access and soil
Wooded lots, soft ground and long driveways can affect how equipment gets in and what foundation the engineer specifies. A site visit sorts this out up front so there are no surprises.
Grants
Lacombe homes with repeated flood claims are often good candidates for FEMA mitigation funding. See our FEMA elevation grants guide.
Working on low, wooded Lacombe lots
Lacombe is unincorporated, so elevation projects are permitted through St. Tammany Parish. A typical project runs: elevation certificate, engineering, parish permits, lift, new foundation, then reconnecting utilities and rebuilding stairs. See our elevation certificate guide to start.
Lacombe lots raise a few practical questions the contractor will answer at the site visit:
- Access: can lifting equipment, a steel trailer and a pile driver reach the house down a long or narrow drive?
- Soil: low, wet ground near the bayou often calls for deeper foundations.
- Trees: large live oaks are valuable and protected in some cases, so the work is planned around root zones.
Camps and older raised homes
Lacombe has plenty of older camp-style and raised homes. These are often among the simplest to lift higher, because they are already off the ground and the beams are easy to reach.
Services available in Lacombe
- House Raising in Lacombe — Lift your home above flood level and set it on a new, higher foundation.
- Slab House Raising in Lacombe — Raise slab-on-grade homes, with or without the slab, to the height you need.
- Pier and Beam House Raising in Lacombe — Raise raised or crawlspace homes higher and set them on new piers or pilings.
- House Leveling in Lacombe — Fix sloping floors, sticking doors and cracked walls by re-leveling the house.
- Foundation Shoring & Repair in Lacombe — Shoring, pier replacement and foundation repair for raised and settling homes.
Lacombe questions
How high do homes in Lacombe need to be?
The minimum is set by the Base Flood Elevation for your lot and St. Tammany Parish's floodplain rules. Many low-lying Lacombe lots require substantial height. An elevation certificate shows exactly where your home stands today.
Who issues permits for house raising in Lacombe?
Lacombe is unincorporated, so permits come from St. Tammany Parish. Your contractor or engineer typically handles the application.