Daytona Beach, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard requirement
- Base flood elevation plus 1 foot
- AO Zone standard
- Depth number plus 1 ft, or 3 ft
- Legal basis
- Fla. Stat. § 553.73(5) local amendment
- FIRM source
- 2017 Volusia County Flood Insurance Study
- Enforcing office
- City Floodplain Administrator
Summary
Daytona Beach requires new construction in flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor at least 1 foot above base flood elevation, adopted as a local amendment to the Florida Building Code under LDC Section 9.1.C. Shallow-flooding zones and below-grade basements carry the same 1-foot freeboard, tied to the floodplain rules in Section 6.15.C.
1.Section R322.2.2.1 of the Florida Building Code, Residential is hereby amended to read as follows:R322.2.1 Elevation requirements.1.Buildings and structures in flood hazard areas including flood hazard areas designated as Coastal A Zones, shall have the lowest floors elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 1 foot (305 mm), or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher.2.In areas of shallow flooding (AO Zones), buildings and structures shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to a height above the highest adjacent grade of not less than the depth number specified in feet (mm) on the FIRM plus 1 foot (305 mm), or not less than 3 feet (915 mm) if a depth number is not specified.3.Basement floors that are below grade on all sides shall be elevated to or above base flood elevation plus 1 foot (305 mm), or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 78 | Land Development Code: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
C. Any building or structure in a mapped flood hazard area, including Coastal A Zones, must have its lowest floor, an occupied basement floor included, elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 1 foot (305 mm), or the design flood elevation shown on the flood study, whichever number is higher. In AO Zones, areas of shallow flooding shown with a depth number on the FIRM, the lowest floor must clear the highest adjacent grade by the mapped depth number plus 1 foot, or by 3 feet if no depth number is shown.
A basement floor that sits below grade on every side must also clear base flood elevation by 1 foot. 2. The amendment is authorized under Fla. Stat. 73(5), which lets a municipality strengthen the state Building Code's flood provisions. Before vertical construction rises above the lowest floor, an owner of a structure exempt from the Florida Building Code must submit a surveyor-sealed elevation certification to the City's Floodplain Administrator, with a final certification due again before closeout. 4.
Violations & Fines
Building below the required elevation without an approved variance blocks issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy and can trigger a Stop Work Order under Land Development Code Article 10. Variance requests go to the City Commission, which must find the elevation shortfall the minimum necessary and place a written record of the risk, including the flood insurance cost impact, in the file before granting relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above base flood elevation must a new home be built in Daytona Beach?
Does the 1-foot freeboard rule apply to garages?
What flood maps does Daytona Beach use to set base flood elevation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daytona Beach
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Daytona Beach to another location·View the Florida environmental rules overview
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Volusia County handle flood elevation requirements.