Hampton, VA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Under the O-FZ Flood Zone Overlay, Hampton adds a mandatory three-foot freeboard on top of FEMA's base flood elevation to set the city's design flood elevation for new construction and substantial improvements. Residential structures must have their lowest floor, including the basement, at or above that design flood elevation; non-residential buildings may instead be engineer-certified as watertight and flood-proofed to the same level. New construction and improvements must also be built to the design flood elevation standard and anchored against flotation, collapse, or lateral movement, and the floodplain administrator collects elevation certificates to verify compliance.