Little Chute, WI Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard required
- 2 feet above regional flood elevation
- Fill standard
- 1 ft above flood level, 15-ft buffer
- Governing article
- Ch. 20, Art. IV, Floodfringe Districts
- Basement rule
- not allowed below regional flood elevation
- Penalty
- $10-$50 per day forfeiture
Summary
Little Chute requires new and substantially improved structures in the floodfringe district to have their lowest floor at or above the flood protection elevation, defined as two feet of freeboard above the regional flood elevation.
The elevation of the lowest floor, excluding the basement or crawlway, shall be at or above the flood protection elevation on fill. The fill shall be one foot or more above the regional flood elevation extending at least 15 feet beyond the limits of the structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 18 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under the village's floodplain zoning ordinance, adopted to comply with DNR and FEMA floodplain-management mandates, any habitable structure built, reconstructed, or moved into a mapped floodfringe area must have its lowest floor, excluding basement or crawlway, at or above the 'flood protection elevation': defined in Sec. 20-7 as two feet of freeboard above the regional or base flood elevation shown on the Outagamie County Flood Insurance Rate Map. The structure must sit on fill at least one foot above the regional flood elevation, extending 15 feet beyond the structure. Basements and crawlways may not go below the regional flood elevation at all. The zoning administrator enforces these standards village-wide within the mapped floodway, floodfringe, general floodplain, and flood storage districts.
Violations & Fines
A structure built below the required flood protection elevation without an approved variance is a Chapter 20 violation; the village prosecutes through the municipal attorney with forfeitures of $10 to $50 per day of continued violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'flood protection elevation' in Little Chute?
Does this freeboard rule apply outside the mapped floodplain?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Chute
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Outagamie County handle flood elevation requirements.