"how high up should a house be from the ground?"
Our house is IN the ground with a full walkout basement.

I suppose you can do whatever you see fit.

It depends a great deal on the design of the first floor of the house.

The minimum code required elevation of untreated framing, sheathing and cladding above grade is 6 inches.

If the first floor is built of wood joists, it is usually not less than 20" above the highest perimeter grade.

If the first floor is a concrete slab it can be as little as 7" above the highest perimeter grade.

Most house designers raise the first floor above the code minimum in order to lower maintenance costs and prevent unsightly splash back.

Traditionally, a high _piano nobile_ for the main floor, with an English basement beneath, was a sign of wealth and pedigree. Shacks were built near the ground, where the bad air nestled.
I have a comparative shack, 4 risers up to the front porch, but a walkout basement in the back, thanks to the sloping lot.
Casey

It also depends on the style of your home. A Victorian sitting close to the ground just looks wrong. But a more modern style sitting low looks right.

Historic homes look the way they look because they used the building knowledge and technologies of their day.

Slab on grade construction was a relatively new "discovery" as a way to simplify and economize foundation construction, particularly in areas were excavation was difficult. SOG construction greatly reduced the time and cost of building house foundations.

"How high up should a house be from the ground?" depends on:

1. The desired architectural style and character of the house;
2. The height necessary to consistently overcome surface water run-off on all sides of a house;
3. The space necessary to discourage termites and crawly things from feeding on the bottom sill plate and wall framing (and to be able to discover their "tubes" and residue should they decide your house is the most tasty one in the neighborhood).

The latter two criteria are the basis for the building code standards for clearance between finish grade and nominal wood framing members described by Reno.

Thus the height for houses above grade varies from that required in coastal areas subject to storm flooding to that required in dry desert areas where rainfall is scarce. A good place to begin is with one's local building code and any applicable local ordinances and regulations.

Good luck on your project.

We had an antique colonial and over the years, the ground filled in around it so it was essentially on grade...thus the reason why, when we pulled off the facia board, the corner posts were rotted up into the 2nd story. Not good. The back of the house was slightly higher and the corner posts back there were in much better shape. So getting the wood above grade is so essential.

We're building in a coastal area, just a few feet above the flood plane. So our house is built on a concrete block foundation that raises the decking 4' above grade. We have a true crawl space under the house, and the builder is spraying it with closed cell foam to reduce moisture from underneath and the bugs from getting to the house.

Probably not a helpful comment but building a few feet above a flood plane in a coastal area may not be the best strategy. We built recently in a coastal area at 10 feet above the 100 foot level. But all coastal areas are certainly not the same...

My builder elevated our primary house (not the coastal one) above the neighbors which were 2-4 years old. Since both of them have had water issues in their walkout basement in heavy rains, it was a good idea.

I have to imagine that "how high up should a house" be is very dependent on soil and local topography. Sure there are style considerations but in my area, keeping water out of the house trumps every thing.

"How high to build a house?" may depend on whether one intends to store the cattle and chickens beneath the living level. I won't discuss the pigs!

My house was just built 12 feet above the ground in a flood plain on 24x24 inch wood columns. The columns were placed 4 feet down in concrete. It is 1,300 square feet.The structure sways slightly when someone walks up the stairs or a storm with high winds comes through. Is this safe ? Should I be concerned?

Was there a structural engineer involved?

No engineer envolved. Just my builder and lumber company.

Above flood level.

(I live in a province that is one giant flood plain......flash floods can flood for MILES). So unless you have megabucks for fill, lots of homes are up on little hills of their own. Some look kinda silly, but it beats flooding!

The original question here is very old and the OP is likely long gone. But I'm curious which province is one giant flood plain, Manitoba?

memriemelton, your question would probably get better notice if it was a new thread.

Yup, Manitoba!