Cumberland County, NC Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Cumberland County's flood damage prevention ordinance defines 'freeboard' as the extra height added above the base flood elevation (BFE) to cover unknowns like wave action and bridge-opening blockage, and it fixes that add-on at two feet: in special flood hazard areas where FEMA has published a BFE, the 'regulatory flood protection elevation' is the BFE plus two feet (Sec. 5-11). New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure, including manufactured homes, must have its reference level, including any basement, built no lower than that regulatory flood protection elevation (Sec.

5-52(1)). Non-residential buildings must meet the same elevation or be floodproofed to it, with a registered engineer or architect certifying the watertight design resists hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads (Sec. 5-52(2)). A final as-built elevation certificate, FEMA Form 81-31, is required after construction and before the county will issue a certificate of compliance or occupancy, and the floodplain administrator, the county engineer, reviews it for deficiencies the permit holder must correct (Sec. 5-42(c)(1)). 00 of coverage, and the board of adjustment must find good and sufficient cause and exceptional hardship, with no increase in flood levels, before granting one (Sec. 5-45(g), (i)).