We have the standard Lakeview hi-low: ground floor in rear under a second story, with the intermediate/main floor on piers.
We were built before 1984, and have a less than 50% damage assessment. We just received our routine renewal for flood and homeowners insurance, even with the ground level living area. So we are "insurable." If we had had a survey done, the ground level floor would surely have been below BFE.
I have understood that if we were to convert the ground level floor into an enclosed garage, that it would be out of compliance with the "3 wall, plus openings every so often" description of acceptable ground level structures for FEMA. I noticed that other Lakeview residents with the same layout have raised their houses, converting the ground floor to an enclosed and attached garage. I don't know if they used ICC funds to do that.
How do I decide whether to raise the house, figure out what the garage can look like; or just leave everything the same since less than 10 feet elevation won't make much difference from a safety standpoint? I can't even figure out all the variables. thanks