Bradenton, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Appendix A, the Floodplain Management Ordinance in the Bradenton Code of Ordinances, defines the base flood elevation as the elevation of the base flood, including wave height, relative to the datum on the Flood Insurance Rate Map. The base flood is the flood with a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.

Section 105.2 covers approximate Zone A, where the FIRM delineates a flood hazard area but supplies no base flood elevation. The Floodplain Administrator must either require the applicant to submit elevation data prepared under currently accepted engineering practices, or obtain and provide data from a federal or state agency or another source. If no such data exist, or the data are deemed not to reasonably reflect flooding conditions or are known to be scientifically or technically incorrect, the Floodplain Administrator can require applicant-prepared data or specify that the base flood elevation is two feet above the highest adjacent grade at the location of the development, provided there is no evidence that flood depths have been or may be greater than two feet. Where the parcel will have more than 50 lots or is larger than 5 acres and the FIRM lacks elevations, Section 105.1 sends the applicant to the engineering-data route instead. Any applicant who wants to change a mapped elevation can seek a Letter of Map Change from FEMA, using a Florida licensed engineer and paying the processing fees.

The plus-one-foot figure appears in Section 301.2 for detached accessory structures with walls and roofs that are used only for parking and storage. In Zone A/AE outside coastal high hazard areas they must be one story, not larger than 600 square feet, with flood openings. In Zone V/VE they cannot sit below elevated buildings and cannot be larger than 100 square feet. Either way they must be anchored, must have flood damage-resistant materials below the base flood elevation plus one foot, and must have mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems elevated to or above that height. For other buildings the ordinance points to the Florida Building Code and ASCE 24, and Section 307.1 puts systems in other development above the design flood elevation.