Santa Clara County, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard
- 2 feet above base flood elevation
- Applies to
- AE, AH, A1-30 and unnumbered A zones
- Certification
- Registered civil engineer or surveyor required
- Utility equipment
- Elevated to BFE plus 2 feet
Summary
New and substantially improved homes in unincorporated Santa Clara County's flood zones must have their lowest floor built two feet above the base flood elevation set on FEMA's flood maps.
All new construction or substantial improvements of residential structures shall have the lowest floor, including basement: 1. In AE, AH, A1-30 Zones, elevated two feet above the base flood elevation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
The county's floodplain chapter sets a two-foot freeboard above the FEMA base flood elevation (BFE) for residential construction in AE, AH, and A1-30 zones, and for unnumbered A zones without a mapped BFE. Any mechanical or utility equipment must also sit at or above BFE plus two feet. Nonresidential buildings must either meet the same elevation or be certified watertight (floodproofed) to that height. A registered civil engineer or land surveyor must certify the finished elevation before the County will sign off, and that certification goes to the Floodplain Administrator for the file.
Violations & Fines
Building below the required freeboard without an elevation certificate is a code violation: the structure is presumed noncompliant until certification is produced, triggering the same infraction penalties as any unpermitted flood-zone work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'freeboard' and why two feet?
Does the freeboard rule apply in Zone AO?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
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