El Paso, TX Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard requirement
- 1 ft. above base flood elevation
- Residential rule
- § 18.60.200(A)
- Nonresidential option
- Elevate or flood-proof, § 18.60.200(B)
- Verification
- FEMA Elevation Certificate by TX engineer
- AO/AH zones
- 1 ft. above mapped depth, or 3 ft.
- Equipment
- HVAC/electrical also 1 ft. above BFE
Summary
El Paso requires new and substantially improved buildings in a mapped flood hazard area to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation -- a freeboard buffer above FEMA's minimum -- under § 18.60.200 of the city's Flood Damage Prevention chapter, verified by a licensed engineer's elevation certificate.
A.Residential Construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement) be elevated a minimum of one foot above the BFE. ... B.Nonresidential Construction. New construction and substantial improvements of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure shall have either the lowest floor (including basement) be elevated a minimum of one foot above the base flood elevation or, together with appurtenant utility and sanitary facilities, be designed so that at least one foot above the BFE the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and with structural components having the capability, of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy.
Full Breakdown
210(B), and it sets El Paso's freeboard above the FEMA minimum. Subsection A covers homes: 'New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement) be elevated a minimum of one foot above the BFE,' with a Texas-registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor required to submit a FEMA National Flood Insurance Program Elevation Certificate confirming compliance. Subsection B gives commercial and industrial buildings a choice: elevate the lowest floor the same one foot above BFE, or flood-proof the structure so that, up to one foot above BFE, it is 'watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water' and able to resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads -- again certified by a Texas-registered engineer or architect, with the certified elevation kept on file by the floodplain administrator.
220 uses a different reference point -- one foot above the FIRM's mapped depth number, or three feet if no depth number is shown, measured from the highest adjacent grade rather than the BFE. 200(D) and (E).
Violations & Fines
Building below the required one-foot freeboard is unlawful under § 18.60.240(A) and is punished as a misdemeanor under §§ 1.08.010 through 1.08.030 of the City Code. Noncompliant elevation certificates can also be rejected by the floodplain administrator, delaying or blocking the certificate of occupancy until the deficiency is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above the flood line must my house be built?
Can a commercial building be flood-proofed instead of elevated?
Does the one-foot rule apply to AC units and electrical panels too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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