Okaloosa County, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone V, Okaloosa Island min.
- 9.6 ft NAVD 1988
- Critical facilities standard
- 500-year flood elevation
- Accessory structure cap, Zone A
- 600 sq ft below BFE
- Accessory structure cap, Zone V
- 100 sq ft below BFE
- Governing section
- LDC § 3.06.10
Summary
Okaloosa County requires new and substantially improved buildings in flood hazard areas to meet minimum elevation standards under the Florida Building Code and ASCE 24, and it goes further on Okaloosa Island: buildings in Zone V there must have their lowest structural support member at or above 9.6 feet NAVD 1988, regardless of what the base Building Code would otherwise require.
C. Minimum elevation requirements for buildings in flood hazard areas. The minimum elevation requirements for buildings in flood hazard areas, including new construction and substantially improved buildings, are specified in: (1) The Florida Building Code, Building by reference to ASCE 24. (2) The Florida Building Code, Residential, in Section R322.2 (Zone A) and Section R322.3 (Zone V and Coastal A Zone). D. Minimum elevation requirement for buildings in Zone V on Okaloosa Island. In addition to the requirements of the Florida Building Code, new construction and substantially improved buildings and structures in Zone V on Okaloosa Island shall be elevated such that the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member supporting the lowest floor is at or above the elevation required by the Florida Building Code, but no lower than 9.6 feet NAVD 1988. F. Critical facilities. Critical facilities shall be elevated or protected from damage and loss of access during flood events up to and including the 500-year flood elevation in accordance with the Florida Building Code requirements for Flood Design Class 4.
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
LDC section 3.06.10 sets the elevation rules for buildings and structures in Okaloosa County's flood hazard areas. Countywide, minimum elevation requirements for new construction and substantially improved buildings follow the Florida Building Code, Building, by reference to ASCE 24's flood-resistant design standard, and the Florida Building Code, Residential, sections R322.2 for Zone A and R322.3 for Zone V and Coastal A Zones. Okaloosa Island carries an added local freeboard requirement: under section 3.06.10.D, any new construction or substantially improved building in Zone V there must be elevated so the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member supporting the lowest floor sits at or above whatever the Florida Building Code requires, but never lower than 9.6 feet NAVD 1988, whichever elevation is higher.
Detached accessory structures used only for parking or storage can sit below the base flood elevation if they meet size caps: 600 square feet with flood openings compliant with FBC Residential R322.2 in Zone A, or just 100 square feet with no space beneath an elevated building in coastal high hazard Zone V, plus anchoring against flotation and flood-damage-resistant materials below the base flood elevation plus one foot. Critical facilities, meaning buildings a Flood Design Class 4 designation covers along with certain nursing homes and vital utility facilities, are held to a still higher standard: elevation or flood protection up to and including the 500-year flood elevation, not merely the 1-percent-annual-chance base flood.
Violations & Fines
Elevation noncompliance is enforced the same way as any other Floodplain Management Ordinance violation under section 3.06.09: a building without the lowest-floor elevation certification required by section 3.06.07 is presumed to be in violation until the owner supplies it, and enforcement runs through Article VI of Chapter 11 of the Code of Ordinances, up to and including denial or revocation of the development permit under section 3.06.05.F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a stricter flood-elevation rule for Okaloosa Island than the rest of the county?
Can I build a shed below the base flood elevation in a flood zone?
What flood standard applies to hospitals and fire stations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Okaloosa County
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