Beaufort County, SC Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Beaufort County Code § 78-67
- Residential lowest floor
- No lower than base flood elevation
- Basements
- Prohibited outright
- Accessory structure threshold
- $3,000.00 cost triggers floodproofing
- A-zone exception cap
- 200 square feet maximum
- Penalty
- Up to $200 fine, 30 days jail
- Enforcing office
- County floodplain administrator
Summary
Beaufort County Code of Ordinances Sec. 78-67 requires new construction and substantial improvements in special flood hazard areas to have the lowest floor elevated no lower than the base flood elevation, prohibits basements entirely, and lets nonresidential buildings floodproof instead of elevate. A registered engineer or architect must certify compliance before occupancy.
(a)Requirements. In all areas of special flood hazard where base flood elevation data has been provided, as set forth in section 78-31, the following are required:(1)Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure, including manufactured homes, shall have the lowest floor elevated no lower than the required base flood elevation (BFE). No basements are permitted. Should solid foundation perimeter walls be used to elevate a structure, openings shall be installed per section 78-69...(3)Nonresidential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure shall either have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than the level of the base flood elevation or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, be floodproofed so that all areas of the structure below the required elevation shall be watertight and 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.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 Update 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 78-67(a)(1), any new or substantially improved residential structure, including manufactured homes, in a mapped special flood hazard area must have its lowest floor elevated no lower than the base flood elevation (BFE), and no basements are allowed at all. If solid foundation perimeter walls are used to raise the structure, flood vents meeting Sec. 78-69 must be installed to relieve hydrostatic pressure. Nonresidential buildings under Sec. 78-67(a)(3) get a choice: elevate the lowest floor to BFE, or dry-floodproof the structure below that level so it is watertight and can resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads, with a professional engineer's or architect's certification filed under Sec.
78-38(b)(3). 00 must meet FEMA Technical Bulletin 7-93 wet-floodproofing criteria or be elevated per Sec. 78-67(a)(1); cheaper accessory buildings can sit in the floodplain only if limited to parking or storage, anchored against flotation, and fitted with the same flood vents. Sec. 78-66(a)(10) pushes 'critical development' further, requiring elevation to the 500-year flood elevation or the highest known historical flood level, whichever is greater. Limited exceptions in the A zone under Sec. 78-67(b), detached guard houses, pump houses, and minimal bathrooms, may sit below BFE but are capped at 200 square feet and must still meet Sec.
78-69's venting standards. Permits are issued and inspected by the county floodplain administrator per Sec. 78-38, who can order corrections, issue stop-work orders, or revoke a permit for false statements or noncompliance.
Violations & Fines
Building below BFE without meeting these standards is a misdemeanor under Sec. 78-37: a fine of not more than $200.00, up to 30 days imprisonment, plus costs, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The floodplain administrator can also issue a stop-work order under Sec. 78-38(c)(2), revoke the permit under Sec. 78-38(c)(3), and, if a violation is never remedied, notify FEMA to pursue denial of NFIP flood insurance on the structure under Sec. 78-38(c)(10).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a basement in a Beaufort County flood zone?
Do sheds and detached garages have to be elevated too?
What happens if I build below the required elevation without approval?
Can I get a variance from the elevation requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaufort County
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