East Wenatchee Home Inspections- House Moving

Ever wonder what happens when a house gets moved?

This is the ultimate recycling project. It is estimated you could save 10-15 old growth trees or about a 100 new growth by moving a house.

Here is a home that has been moved in Wenatchee Washington. It weighed about 192,000 lbs and cost about $30,000 to move. The home was built in 1938 for the Wade family.

With such moves there is a lot of planning that will be involved and many cost consideration. Engineering, route planning and distance will all need to be planned and accounted for.

First the house to be moved will need all the utilities disconnected. This will require the services of a plumber and electrician. House movers will need at least 10 feet of room around exterior of the house for excavation. The movers will dig down around the foundation and cut openings in the foundation walls.

Next steel beams will be inserted into the foundation openings. These beams will bear the weight of the house during the move. It is very important that they're sized and placed correctly (all of this will be engineered).  Wooden cribs (interlocking wooden posts) will also help support the home inside and out. Then home movers will place hydraulic jacks under the steel beams and lift the house.

The system used to lift the house is known as a unified hydraulic jacking system. There will be a central control for monitoring each jack's performance. All jacks will rise and lower at the exact same rate, no matter how much weight each jack is supporting. This will keep the home level.

Once the home is lifted sliding beams are placed underneath to slide the home onto special dollies with rubber tires.

The dollies are then attached to a truck that will take the house to its new location. The move can last several days.

The truck will crawl (link for a move video) along while workers travel alongside, lifting wires and removing mailboxes, and then replacing them after the house has passed.

When the home arrives (link of house move video) at its new location the home is left jacked up until a new foundation is poured. The home is then lowered and utilities reconnected. When done correctly the house has the same structural integrity as when the process started.

East Wenatchee Home Inspections- House Moving

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington.

NCW Home Inspections LLC-509-670-9572