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Florida preparing to adjust to new building elevation requirements

Codes and Standards

Florida preparing to adjust to new building elevation requirements

New floodplain maps and state code changes loom.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 30, 2017
Florida preparing to adjust to new building elevation requirements

Photo: Pixabay

Changes to the Florida Building Code and new floodplain maps will mean buildings in the state will have to be built at higher elevations.

Nonresidential buildings will have to be built at 9.5 feet, two feet higher than current requirements. Houses will have to be built at 8.5 feet, a foot higher than what is currently required.

The state building code is expected to incorporate the changes in December after adoption by the Florida Legislature. In Palm Beach, new FEMA maps and changes to the town’s flood ordinances and zoning code must be adopted by early October for the town to remain eligible for federal funds through the National Flood Insurance Program. 

Palm Beach officials recently indicated that businesses and residents who have secured building permits but have not yet started construction may build to the higher elevation without facing a penalty.

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