One living floor · raised over parking
The Raised Cottage: Elevated House Plans for Flood Zones
All the living on one floor, lifted a full story above flood level on concrete piers. A center gallery runs from the front door straight through to the great room and the water. Parking and storage sit below, reached by an outside stair, with room for an optional lift. Drawn for a 60' × 110' canal or bay lot.
One Plan, Three Styles
Old Florida
A silver metal hip roof, board-and-batten walls, wood porch posts and lattice between the piers.
Key West Caribbean
White lap siding, a white metal roof, pastel Bahama shutters and louvered screening below.
Coastal Modern
Old Florida elevations
A thin low-slope roof, stucco and wood, black-framed glass and glass railings.
Old Florida elevations
Key West Caribbean elevations
Old Florida elevations
Front and rear elevations, drawn to the floor plan dimensions.
Key West Caribbean elevations
Key West Caribbean elevations
Key West Caribbean elevations
Front and rear elevations, drawn to the floor plan dimensions.
Coastal Modern elevations
Key West Caribbean elevations
Key West Caribbean elevations
Front and rear elevations, drawn to the floor plan dimensions.
The Plan
The plan at a glance
- Living (A/C) 2,024 sq ft on one floor · 3 bedrooms · 2 baths · walk-in closet · laundry room
- Front porch 44′ × 8′ and rear porch 44′ × 10′ · 44′ × 64′ with the porches
- Ground level: parking for two cars and a golf cart, enclosed storage, an outdoor shower
- Exterior stair, with a place on the front porch for an optional lift · drawn for a 60′ × 110′ canal or bay lot
Plan features
Center gallery. From the front door straight back to the great room and the view, with the bedrooms on one side and the owner’s suite on the other.
Great room. Living, dining and the kitchen across the whole back of the house, 44′ wide, opening to the rear porch.
Owner’s suite. 20′ × 14′ at the front corner, with a walk-in closet and a bath with a tub and a separate shower.
Bedrooms 2 and 3. Both 20′ × 12′, sharing a bath with two sinks.
Below. Open parking between the piers, a storage room for kayaks and bikes, and an outdoor shower by the rear stair.
The three styles
Old Florida. The cracker-cottage look: a metal hip roof over the house and both porches, board-and-batten walls and lattice below.
Key West Caribbean. Lap siding, a white metal roof, Bahama shutters and louvered screening.
Coastal Modern. A thin roof edge with a wood soffit, stucco and wood, big glass and glass railings on the porch and stair.
What is included when we design it for your lot
- The house is fitted to your survey, setbacks and flood map, with the floor set at or above the elevation required for the lot.
- Floor plans and elevations, including the ground level.
- The engineered structure: the pier or piling foundation, the raised floor framing, the lateral system for a house on piers, and the uplift path.
- The ground-level enclosures, stair and optional lift drawn to the flood rules.
- One coordinated set for permit. Remote: we work from your survey, the flood information and photos.
Where we design homes
- Pinellas: Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, St. Pete Beach, Gulfport, Shore Acres and Snell Isle in St. Petersburg
- Space Coast: Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach
- Treasure Coast: Stuart, Sewall’s Point, Hutchinson Island, Vero Beach
Questions
How high does a house in a flood zone have to be?
The lowest floor (or, in a coastal V zone, the lowest structural member) must be at or above the elevation your community requires, which is based on the flood map plus any added freeboard. We set the floor from your survey and flood zone at the start.
Can I park and store things under a raised house?
Yes. The space below the elevated floor may be used for parking, building access and storage. Any walls there are built to the flood rules: breakaway walls in V zones, and flood openings in A zones. See ground-level enclosures.
What is the difference between this plan and a beach house on pilings?
This cottage keeps all the living on one floor, about 2,000 sq ft. The Beach House on Pilings stacks two living floors with an elevator for a narrower beach lot.
Can I add an elevator or lift later?
The plan leaves a place for a lift at the front porch. Planning it now keeps the shaft, its foundation and the flood details right, even if you install it later.
Related: All Florida house plans · The Beach House on Pilings · House plans with an elevator · Ground-level enclosures · Custom home design
Concept design, not for construction. Plans and images are for illustration. Every home is designed and engineered for its own lot, flood zone and wind exposure; the builder confirms field conditions.
