Dallas, TX Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Dallas City Code § 51A-5.105
- Building pad fill
- 2 ft above design flood elevation
- Lowest floor
- 3 ft above design flood elevation
- Fill permit
- Approved by city council
- Administered by
- Dallas Water Utilities
Summary
Building in a Dallas floodplain requires a city-council-approved fill permit, and once approved the building pad must sit at least two feet and the lowest floor at least three feet above the design flood elevation.
If the city council approves a fill permit, the filling operations must comply with the following requirements: ... (2) Building pad sites must be filled to an elevation of at least two feet above the design flood elevation. (3) The lowest floor of any structure must be constructed at least three feet above the design flood elevation.
Full Breakdown
Dallas City Code Section 51A-5.105 governs filling in the floodplain. An owner may build on floodplain land only after the city council approves a fill permit, and the filling must meet fixed elevation floors: pad sites filled to at least two feet above the design flood elevation, and the lowest floor of any structure built at least three feet above it. Dallas Water Utilities administers the floodplain program and reviews fill applications before they reach council. The design flood elevation reflects the base (one-percent-annual-chance) flood plus the city's added freeboard margin shown on the regulatory floodplain and FEMA maps.
Violations & Fines
Filling or building in the floodplain without a council-approved fill permit, or below the two-foot pad and three-foot lowest-floor elevations, violates the code and can trigger stop-work orders and denial of building permits and certificates of occupancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high must a home's lowest floor be in a Dallas floodplain?
Do I need permission to fill floodplain land in Dallas?
What is the design flood elevation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dallas
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Dallas to another location·View the Texas environmental rules overview
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle flood elevation requirements.