WATCH: Toms River Home Elevation Seminar

A video from a weekend home raising seminar hosted by Toms River has been posted to the township's official YouTube page. 

Officials originally planned for a single session last Saturday at High School South, but demand necessitated the addition of a second seminar. There, experts in the field spoke about home raising techniques for over an hour. 

"The reason we thought this is important is there are so many homes in Toms River that have been impacted by this storm," said Mayor Thomas Kelaher in opening remarks at the program. 

At least 10,000 homes in the township were impacted by Superstorm Sandy, according to Kelaher, and because of FEMA flood maps some homeowners are faced with elevating their dwellings. 

"Because a lot of the homes have to be raised, we want you to know as much as possible," Kelaher said. 

Kelaher said that the event is merely a public service provided by the township and officials cannot endorse a company or firm.

The following tips for hiring a contractor to raise a home were provided by the township:

• Make sure the contractor has the specific machines necessary to move your type of house, such as a "unified jacking machine."
• Be sure contractor is a licensed professional with many years of experience in home elevation, specifically. Anyone can purchase the equipment needed, so be sure that the contractor has the right experience.
• Make sure Elevation Contractor has Cargo/Riggers Liability Insurance for the contents of your home, as well as at least $1,000,000 in liability insurance.
• The company can be from out of state, but they must have a New Jersey contractor’s license.
• Get several estimates and check references.
• Have a detailed, written contract in place before starting any work.
• Never pay in cash or put out a lot of money upfront.
• Make sure you get a permit for the work. You may lose your insurance money without proper permits or have a "Stop Work" order put in place.

More information, including a list of contractors licensed to perform home elevation in New Jersey, is available on the Toms River website.