Kissimmee, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum fill elevation
- 18 in. above base flood elev.
- Applies in
- special flood hazard areas only
- Determined by
- city engineer
- Exceeds
- state 1-ft freeboard minimum
- Administered by
- city floodplain administrator
Summary
Kissimmee requires fill in special flood hazard subdivisions to raise the lowest floor at least 18 inches above the 100-year base flood elevation, exceeding the state minimum.
Whenever a plan is submitted for an area that is a special flood hazard area but not in a floodway, the city may approve such subdivision, to an elevation sufficient to place the lowest floor, including basement, at a minimum of 18 inches above the base flood elevation of the 100-year frequency flood as determined by the city engineer or otherwise complies with [sub]section K.3.e.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Land Development Code § 14-9-1(G)(1) governs filling in special flood hazard areas outside a floodway: before the city approves such a subdivision, the fill must bring the lowest floor, including any basement, to a minimum of 18 inches above the base flood elevation of the 100-year frequency flood, as determined by the city engineer, or otherwise comply with the site-improvement elevation standard in § 14-9-1(K)(3)(e). That 18-inch figure is a local addition on top of the one-foot freeboard the state-adopted Florida Building Code sets as the general minimum, and it applies only within mapped special flood hazard areas inside city limits, not to every lot citywide.
Violations & Fines
Building or filling below the required elevation without the documented certification of elevation is presumed a violation under § 14-9-1(J), enforceable through the floodplain administrator's permit-suspension and code-enforcement powers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kissimmee require more flood freeboard than the Florida Building Code?
Does the 18-inch rule apply to every house in Kissimmee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kissimmee
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Kissimmee to another location·View the Florida environmental rules overview
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