Davis County, UT Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Davis County Code § 14.04.340(A)-(B)
- Standard
- Lowest floor at or above BFE plus freeboard
- Certification required
- Licensed engineer, architect, or surveyor
- Nonresidential option
- Engineer-certified floodproofing to BFE
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor, up to $1,000 and 6 months
- Appeal window
- 30 days to Board of Commissioners
Summary
In Davis County's unincorporated special flood hazard areas, new residential construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor, including the basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus any adopted freeboard, certified by a licensed engineer, architect, or surveyor. Commercial and industrial buildings may floodproof instead of elevating, and a development permit is required before work begins.
New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above base flood elevation plus any adopted freeboard. A licensed professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor shall submit a certification to the Zoning Administrator that the standard of this subsection is satisfied. ... New construction and substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure shall either have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to the level of the base flood elevation; or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, shall: Be floodproofed so that below the base flood level the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water; Have structural components capable of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy; and Be certified by a registered professional engineer or architect that the standards of this subsection are satisfied.
Full Breakdown
340(A) sets the elevation standard: residential structures in areas with adopted base flood elevation data must have their lowest floor, including any basement, raised to or above that elevation plus any freeboard the County has adopted, with the design certified to the Zoning Administrator by a licensed professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor. Inside an AO Zone shown on the FIRM, the lowest floor must sit above the highest adjacent grade by at least the depth number printed on the map, or two feet if none is shown, with drainage paths required around structures on slopes.
340(B) gives nonresidential buildings, commercial, industrial or institutional, a second option: instead of elevating to the base flood elevation, the structure can be floodproofed watertight below that level, with walls substantially impermeable to water and components able to resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads, again certified by a registered engineer or architect. 330 separately bars any enclosed space below the lowest floor. 350(A). 390 to appeal for a full hearing before the Davis County Board of Commissioners.
Violations & Fines
Section 14.04.400 makes building or altering land in a special flood hazard area without meeting these standards a Class B misdemeanor: a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense. The County can also pursue other lawful remedies to bring the property into compliance, in addition to any criminal penalty imposed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Davis County require freeboard above the base flood elevation?
Can a commercial building floodproof instead of elevating?
What happens if I build below the required elevation?
Can I appeal a flood permit decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis County
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