Gordon County, GA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

The elevation standards live in Sections 3.01.18 through 3.01.20 of the Unified Land Development Code and apply in every area of special flood hazard in unincorporated Gordon County. For a new residential structure or manufactured home, or a substantial improvement to one, the lowest floor including the basement must be elevated no lower than one (1) foot above the base flood elevation. Heating and air conditioning equipment, ductwork, and electrical, ventilation, plumbing, and other service facilities must sit at or above that same level. Nonresidential buildings in A1-30, AE, or AH zones can be flood-proofed instead, with walls water tight to one foot above the base flood elevation and a certification from a registered professional engineer or architect.

Enclosures below the lowest floor must be unfinished or flood resistant. They need at least two openings with a total net area of one square inch for every square foot of enclosed area, the bottom of every opening no higher than one foot above grade, and use limited to parking, limited storage of maintenance equipment, or entry. The enclosed area cannot be partitioned or finished into rooms. A manufactured home must have its lowest floor one foot above the base flood elevation, or its chassis supported on reinforced piers of no less than 36 inches above grade.

Where a stream has no base flood elevation, Section 3.01.19 sets the lowest floor no less than three (3) feet above the highest adjacent grade, and one foot above the estimated base flood elevation where a Limited Detail Study has been completed. In AO shallow flooding zones, with depths of one to three feet, the floor goes up to the flood depth number on the FIRM, or at least three feet if none is printed.

The Director of Building Inspections certifies lowest floor elevations in A-zones and AO zones, and the permit holder files an as-built certification after the lowest floor is complete. A variance recipient gets written notice of the gap between the base flood elevation and the proposed lowest floor and a warning that flood insurance will cost more. Critical facilities need access protected to the 500-year flood elevation.