Hanover County, VA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

15(3). For residential construction, including manufactured homes, in Zones AE and A with detailed base flood elevations, the lowest floor, including any basement, must be elevated to or above the base flood level plus one foot; the same one-foot freeboard applies to recreational amenities such as tennis courts, sports fields and playgrounds built as part of a residential development. 19(b) lets an owner floodproof instead of elevate, provided every component below the BFE-plus-one-foot line is watertight and can resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads, certified by a registered engineer or architect.

Fully enclosed space below the lowest floor may only be used for parking, building access or limited storage, must be built of flood-resistant materials, and must carry flood openings sized at one square inch of net opening for every square foot of enclosed area. Accessory structures get the same elevation rule or, if left unelevated, are capped at six hundred square feet, limited to parking or storage, and must have flood openings meeting the same criteria. 18 layers on an additional requirement that utility, electrical, heating and plumbing equipment sit at or above that same BFE-plus-one-foot line.