Bellingham, WA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard required
- 1 foot above BFE
- Applies to
- new construction, substantial improvement
- Data source
- FEMA FIRM maps
- Permit needed
- development permit, Public Works
- Max fine
- $1,000 misdemeanor
Summary
New and substantially improved homes in Bellingham's mapped flood hazard areas must elevate the lowest floor at least one foot above the FEMA base flood elevation.
17.76.180 Residential construction. A. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to at least one foot above the base flood elevation. The long axis of the foundation must be aligned with the flood flow.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-06-015, passed June 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Bellingham's floodplain chapter requires new construction and substantial improvements to residential structures within the city's areas of special flood hazard, set by FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps along Bellingham Bay, Whatcom Creek and other Whatcom County, Washington waterways, to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, at least one foot above the base flood elevation, with the foundation's long axis aligned to flood flow. Nonresidential buildings get a floodproofing alternative instead. A development permit from the Public Works Director is required before any work begins, and the one-foot freeboard is a Bellingham add-on above the bare FEMA minimum, adopted within the state-approved floodplain framework.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required elevation or the development permit is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000, plus a civil penalty of up to $100 per day until the violation is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much freeboard does Bellingham require above base flood elevation?
What if my property is a commercial building instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellingham
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