Long Beach, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard, ASCE 24 path
- 12 in. flood freeboard + 6 in. sea-level-rise
- Freeboard, standard path
- 18 inches above City flood-map base elevation
- Governing sections
- LBMC §§ 18.41.280, 18.41.290 (Residential Code)
- FEMA study anchor
- Flood Insurance Study for Long Beach, July 6, 1998
- Enforcing department
- Long Beach Development Services, Building Official
- Adopting ordinance
- ORD-25-0019 (2025)
Summary
Long Beach's amended Residential and Building Codes push construction above FEMA's base flood elevation, not merely to it. Section 18.41.280 adds 12 inches of flood freeboard plus 6 inches for future sea-level rise when ASCE 24 is used, and Section 18.41.290 otherwise requires the highest of three benchmarks, including 18 inches of sea-level-rise freeboard above the City's mapped base flood elevation.
R306.1.1 Alternative provisions. As an alternative to the requirements in Section R306, ASCE 24 is permitted subject to the limitations of this code and the limitations therein. Where ASCE 24 is used as an alternative, the design flood elevation (DFE) shall be the greater of the DFE as defined in ASCE 24 and the base flood elevation (BFE) plus twelve (12) inches of flood freeboard and six (6) inches of freeboard to account for future sea-level rise. ... R306.1.4 Establishing the design flood elevation. ... At a minimum, the design flood elevation shall be the higher of the following: 1. The base flood elevation at the depth of peak elevation of flooding, including wave height, that has a 1-percent (1,000-year flood) or greater chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. 2. The elevation of the design flood associated with the area designated on a flood hazard map adopted by the City, or otherwise legally designated. 3. The elevation of the base flood associated with the area designated on a flood hazard map adopted by the City, or otherwise legally designated, plus eighteen (18) inches to account for future sea-level rise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Long Beach amended the California Residential Code's flood provisions through Ordinance ORD-25-0019 in 2025, layering city-specific freeboard on top of FEMA's base flood elevation (BFE). 280 lets builders use ASCE 24 as an alternative to standard Section R306, but only if the resulting design flood elevation (DFE) is the greater of the ASCE 24 figure and the BFE plus 12 inches of flood freeboard plus another 6 inches for future sea-level rise -- 18 inches of cushion above BFE on that path. 290 sets the baseline rule for every other project: the design flood elevation must be the highest of (1) the 1-percent-annual-chance base flood elevation including wave height, (2) the design flood elevation shown on a City-adopted flood hazard map, or (3) the base flood elevation on that City map plus 18 inches for future sea-level rise.
280 anchors the underlying flood hazard map to the City's FEMA-accepted 'Flood Insurance Study for the City of Long Beach' dated July 6, 1998, as later amended or revised, along with its Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Boundary and Floodway Map. 15. A Long Beach permit applicant in a mapped flood hazard area therefore cannot simply build to bare BFE; the City requires elevation documentation meeting the higher, sea-level-rise-adjusted standard before sign-off.
Violations & Fines
Failing to document compliance blocks permit finalization: Section 18.40.290 ties elevation sign-off to the lowest-floor elevation inspection and final inspection under Section 18.07.050.A.4 and A.15, so the Development Services Department's Building Official cannot close out a permit in a mapped flood hazard area until the required elevation documentation is filed, and construction cannot receive a certificate of occupancy in the meantime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Long Beach let me build right up to FEMA's base flood elevation?
What if my architect wants to use ASCE 24 instead of the standard code section?
Which flood maps does Long Beach actually use?
When does the City check my elevation compliance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle flood elevation requirements.