Why is this Pinellas County home sitting 25 feet in the air?

Homeowners raise home 25 feet after hurricanes

A raised home in Pinellas County is raising eyebrows, as it's stacked high above all the others. FOX 13's Blake DeVine explains why these homeowners made this house hard to miss.

LARGO, Fla. - A Pinellas County home sitting 25 feet in the air on temporary wooden supports is gaining widespread attention online as construction crews work below the structure to rebuild its foundation.

What we know:

Modern House & Building Movers raised the 500-ton property using steel beams and stacked wooden cribs after the homeowner decided to rebuild following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The complex engineering project required months of preparation, including extensive digging beneath the house to stabilize the structure safely.

Modern House & Building Movers President Jeremy Patterson described the work happening underneath the elevated home.

"We dug 600 tons of sand out, like an ant," Patterson said. "We had tunnels under here, like we were in the Vietnam War. So, it goes deep."

The homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, paid $575,000 for the elevation project. The renovation will allow crews to build an entirely new first and second floor beneath the existing structure, ultimately doubling the square footage of the coastal property.

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Modern House & Building Movers representative Kristi Robinson says the overall goal is to help protect the homeowner from future storms.

What they're saying:

"She’ll be able to enjoy her yard and her deck without the worries of the hurricane taking it all away," Robinson concluded.

What's next:

Crews are still working to complete and fill in the bottom two levels of the home. The project is expected to finish in December and is designed to better withstand future hurricanes and storm surge.