The Elevated Beach House
Two levels of porch over an elevated ground floor.
Built up off the ground the way the coast requires, with parking and storage below and two full levels of covered porch above. Board-and-batten siding, cable rail, an exterior stair, and windows set to catch the breeze rather than the afternoon sun. Finished and standing.
Elevated Coastal Homes in Folly Beach, SC
VIP Construction is a general contractor in Charleston, South Carolina, building and renovating homes on the islands where the ground floor is not where people live. Raised coastal houses, with parking and storage below and the living spaces lifted above, are a building type of their own, and they reward a contractor who understands both the structure and the finish. If you are planning an elevated home or a major renovation on Folly Beach, this is the kind of work we do.
Much of the Lowcountry coast sits in flood zones, and local codes set how high living spaces must be and how the structure below them is built. We plan the house around those requirements from the start, so the design, the budget and the inspections all line up.
Structure First, Then Everything Else
An elevated house is only as good as what holds it up. Pilings or piers, the beams that sit on them and the connections that tie the house together are what carry it through wind and water, and they are the parts buyers rarely see. We use the same grade of material and the same care in the structure as in the finishes, because in two or three years, the hidden work is what shows.
The ground level still matters. Parking, storage and entry areas below the house are laid out to stay useful, easy to maintain and compliant with the rules for spaces under an elevated home.
Porches, Stairs and Exterior Finishes
On a raised house, porches are the rooms people use most. We build covered porches on multiple levels, exterior stairs, cable and picket rails, and siding such as board-and-batten, with windows placed to catch the breeze rather than the afternoon sun. Every exterior detail is chosen to handle salt air and strong weather without constant repair.
Serving Folly Beach and the Charleston Coast
VIP Construction has been building in the Lowcountry since 2004, with a clean record with every municipality we have worked in. We build and renovate coastal homes across Folly Beach, James Island, Johns Island, Kiawah Island, Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.
Planning an elevated home or a coastal renovation? Call or text VIP Construction at (843) 999-7380, or tell us about the project.