Tehama County, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- Lowest floor at/above base flood elevation
- Applies to
- New construction and substantial improvement
- Permit
- Development permit from floodplain administrator required
- Certification
- Registered engineer or surveyor must verify
- Scope
- Unincorporated Tehama County only
Summary
In the unincorporated area of Tehama County, California, new and substantially improved homes in mapped flood zones must have their lowest floor built at or above the base flood elevation, with no separate freeboard cushion added on top of that mark.
Residential construction, new or substantial improvement, shall have the lowest floor, including basement:a.In an A zone, elevated to or above the base flood elevation; said base flood elevation shall be determined by one of the methods in Section 15.52.330(B) of this chapter.b.In an AO zone, elevated above the highest adjacent grade to a height equal to or exceeding the depth number specified in feet on the FIRM, or elevated at least two feet above the highest adjacent grade if no depth number is specified.c.In all other zones, elevated to or above the base flood elevation. Upon the completion of the structure, the elevation of the lowest floor including basement shall be certified by a registered professional engineer or surveyor, and verified by the community building inspector to be properly elevated. Such certification and verification shall be provided to the floodplain administrator.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Tehama County's floodplain ordinance requires new or substantially improved residential structures in a mapped area of special flood hazard to have the lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation, determined from the FEMA flood insurance study or, absent that data, by county-applied FEMA methodology. A development permit from the floodplain administrator (the county building official) is required before construction begins, and the finished elevation must be certified by a registered engineer or surveyor. This governs only unincorporated Tehama County; Red Bluff, Corning, and the City of Tehama enforce their own floodplain ordinances inside their limits.
Violations & Fines
Building below the required elevation violates Tehama County Code § 15.52.240, is a misdemeanor and a declared public nuisance subject to abatement, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Red Bluff or Corning?
Is extra freeboard required above the base flood elevation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
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