Freehold Township, NJ Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Freehold Township calculates a 'local design flood elevation' (LDFE) for every flood hazard area under § 166-12, using whichever is more restrictive of the FEMA Flood Insurance Study data, the state Flood Hazard Area Control Act's minimum statewide elevation requirements for A, Coastal A and V zones, and ASCE 24 requirements for critical facilities, plus additional freeboard set by the chapter. C. 7:13 requires. C. 7:13, again plus one foot. In AO zones, § 166-12B(3) sets the LDFE at the highest adjacent grade plus the FIRM's depth number plus one foot, or three feet above grade if no depth number is shown.

Class IV critical facilities get an extra two feet of freeboard above the 500-year flood elevation, and Class III critical facilities in coastal high hazard areas get an extra foot, both under § 166-12B(4) and (5). Section 166-75 turns that elevation into a construction mandate: new construction and substantial improvement of any habitable building must have its lowest floor, including the basement, along with all electrical, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and sanitary equipment, raised to or above the LDFE, built to ASCE 24 Chapter 7, and confirmed by an elevation certificate.

Nonresidential structures get an alternative: instead of elevating, they can be dry-floodproofed below the LDFE if a licensed design professional certifies the design under ASCE 24 Chapters 2 and 7 and confirms it with a floodproofing certificate. Fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor may be used only for parking, building access or storage, must sit at or above the adjoining exterior grade on at least one wall, and must have flood vents or openings that let water automatically flow in and out to equalize hydrostatic pressure.