Prince George's County, MD Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Section 32-203(a)(35) defines Flood Protection Elevation, or FPE, as the base flood elevation plus freeboard, requiring two feet of freeboard for FEMA purposes and one to two feet for non-FEMA studies depending on the specific watershed under the County's Stormwater Management Design Manual. Section 32-205(f) applies that standard directly: any new or substantially improved residential or nonresidential structure, including manufactured homes, must sit outside the floodplain with its lowest floor and surrounding ground elevated by fill to or above the flood protection elevation, basements are not permitted, and residential structures must sit at least 25 feet back from the 1-percent annual chance (100-year) floodplain.

Section 32-207(a)(2) repeats the requirement for all new or substantially improved structures except garages, storage, and accessory buildings under 300 square feet not used for human habitation. In shallow-flooding Zone AO areas, Section 32-205(b)(6) instead requires the lowest floor to sit at least as high above the highest adjacent grade as the FIRM-specified flood depth plus two feet. Electrical distribution panels must sit at least three feet above the 100-year flood elevation under Section 32-207(a)(8)(B). 01 reviews permit applications and can grant a limited waiver under Section 32-206 when the applicant shows a physical hardship, but never for structures whose lowest floor would fall below the flood protection elevation.