Santa Cruz County, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

220(C)(5), requires that buildings and structures in flood hazard areas have the lowest floor elevated at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, a 2-foot freeboard margin above the FEMA minimum. In AO Zones of shallow flooding, the lowest floor must sit at least 2 feet above the highest adjacent grade plus the FIRM depth number, or 2 feet if none is specified; non-residential structures that cannot be elevated must be floodproofed to the same 2-foot standard. Basement floors below grade on all sides face the identical 2-foot-above-BFE rule.

6 requires a FEMA Elevation Certificate (Form 086-0-33) submitted to the Department before any final inspection on a new or substantially improved structure. 3, including a County 'V Zone Cert' and, at final inspection, a Final V-Zone Certificate or Final Non-residential Floodproofing Design Certificate. Placing more than 50 cubic yards of fill in the flood fringe requires an engineered grading plan, an equal volume removed elsewhere on or adjacent to the site, and a FEMA Conditional Letter of Map Revision-Fill (CLOMR-F) before the building permit issues. 13.