Frederick County, VA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard
- One foot above Base Flood Elevation minimum
- Applies in
- Zones A1-30, AE, AH and A
- Nonresidential option
- Floodproof instead of elevate, engineer-certified
- Accessory structure cap
- 600 sq ft if not elevated
- Administered by
- Zoning Administrator as Floodplain Administrator
- Governing section
- § 165-503.15, FP Floodplain District
Summary
In Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, new and substantially improved buildings inside a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area must sit at least one foot above the Base Flood Elevation. Section 165-503.15 of the Floodplain Overlay District sets that one-foot freeboard for both residential and nonresidential construction, with a floodproofing alternative for commercial and industrial buildings.
§ 165-503.15. Elevation and construction standards. A. In all SFHAs where BFEs have been provided in the FIS or generated by a certified professional according to § 165-503.10C of this chapter, the following provisions shall apply: (1) Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) in Zones A1-30, AE, AH, and A with detailed BFEs shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than one foot above the BFE. (2) Nonresidential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial, or nonresidential building (or manufactured home) shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to no lower than one foot above the BFE.
Full Breakdown
10C. Residential construction, including manufactured homes, in Zones A1-30, AE, AH and A with detailed BFEs must have its lowest floor, including any basement, elevated no lower than one foot above the BFE. The same one-foot freeboard applies to new or substantially improved commercial, industrial and other nonresidential buildings, except that those nonresidential structures in A1-30 and AE Zones may floodproof instead of elevate, provided every component below the BFE plus one foot is watertight and engineered to resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads, certified by a registered professional engineer or architect.
Enclosed space below the elevated lowest floor cannot be used for human habitation; it is limited to parking, building access or limited storage, and must carry flood vents sized at one square inch of opening per square foot of enclosed area so water can flow through rather than build up against the walls. Accessory structures get a narrower exception: they can skip elevation only if capped at 600 square feet, built of flood-resistant material below the BFE, anchored against flotation and fitted with the same flood vents.
The Zoning Administrator serves as the County's Floodplain Administrator and reviews every building permit application in the SFHA against these standards before construction can begin.
Violations & Fines
Failure to meet the elevation or floodproofing standard is enforced by the Floodplain Administrator, who is the Zoning Administrator under § 165-503.04, through notices of violation, stop-work orders and required corrective action on noncompliant construction. Substantially damaged structures in the floodplain cannot be repaired or reconstructed without a permit demonstrating compliance, and the County may deny or revoke a permit until the freeboard or floodproofing certification is satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above the flood line must a new home be built in Frederick County?
Can a commercial building floodproof instead of elevating?
Who decides where the Special Flood Hazard Area lines fall?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Frederick County
Compare Frederick County to another location·View the Virginia environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.