just a little note on your problem. i raised our house about 7 inches. i used 4 20ton jacks and raised each support beam about a 1/4in at a time. it took about 4 day's to do this. i took my time so i would have less cracking in the drywall. we have about 4 1/2 feet of clearance in the dug out. i used 8x8 pressure treated beams centered on cement pads. at the time i should of replaced the main support beams do to carpentar ants. 4 years later this is my new plan. i'm not a pro, just a dyi'er. if you have the time and patience this is fairly simple. just don't get in a rush. i skirted the house with pressure treated ply-wood on a 2x4 frame. of course insulation and vapor-barrier. do to the frost the house still shifts, but remains fairly level. the house is only 800 square feet, so i used 2 large vents per side. to this day it remains dry and odour free. if you want to save money this is they way to go. i didn't need a city permit so i saved alot of money doing it myself. if you would like to contact me my e-mail is
jade@tbaytel.net. if not good luck