Greene County, MO Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard required
- 1 foot above base flood elevation
- Applies in
- Numbered/unnumbered A and AE zones
- Nonresidential option
- Floodproof to same elevation, engineer-certified
- Variance authority
- Greene County Board of Zoning Adjustment
- Scope
- Unincorporated county only, not Springfield
Summary
Unincorporated Greene County requires new and substantially improved buildings in mapped flood zones to sit one foot above the base flood elevation.
New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structures, including manufactured homes, shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to one foot above the base flood elevation. Non-Residential Construction New construction or substantial improvements of any commercial, industrial, or other nonresidential structures, including manufactured homes, shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to one foot above the base flood elevation or, together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, be floodproofed so that below the base flood elevation 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. A registered professional engineer or architect shall certify that the standards of this subsection are satisfied. Such certification shall be provided to the Floodplain Administrator as set forth in
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
In numbered and unnumbered A and AE flood zones with base flood elevation data, new construction or substantial improvement of a residential structure, including manufactured homes, must have its lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to one foot above the base flood elevation. Nonresidential buildings must meet the same elevation or be engineer-certified floodproofed to that level. This applies only in the unincorporated county. Springfield, Republic, Willard, Strafford, Ash Grove and Battlefield administer their own floodplain rules.
Violations & Fines
Building below the required elevation without a variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustment risks permit denial, a stop-work order, and loss of National Flood Insurance Program coverage eligibility for the structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Springfield?
Can a nonresidential building skip elevating?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greene County
Compare Greene County to another location·View the Missouri environmental rules overview
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