Medina, OH Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard required
- 2 feet above base flood elevation
- Fallback standard
- 2 feet above highest adjacent natural grade
- Applies to
- New construction and substantial improvements, including manufactured homes
- Enclosure vents
- 1 sq in per sq ft, openings within 1 foot of grade
- Penalty class
- Fourth-degree misdemeanor, strict liability
Summary
Medina requires two feet of freeboard above base flood elevation for any new or substantially improved residential structure. The Flood Protection Elevation defined in Section 1379.02(q) sets the lowest-floor target; where no base flood elevation data exists, the fallback is two feet above the highest adjacent natural grade under Section 1379.04(d)(5).
(q) Flood Protection Elevation: The Flood Protection Elevation, or FPE, is the base flood elevation plus two (2) feet of freeboard. In areas where no base flood elevations exist from any authoritative source, the flood protection elevation can be historical flood elevations, or base flood elevations determined and/or approved by the Floodplain Administrator. ... New construction and substantial improvement ... of any residential structure, including manufactured homes, shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the flood protection elevation (See Section 1379.02 "Definitions"). Where flood protection elevation data are not available the structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated at least two feet above the highest adjacent natural grade.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025-01: Local legislation current through June 24, 2025 | State legislation current through December 31, 2024).
Full Breakdown
02(q); where no authoritative base flood elevation exists, the Floodplain Administrator may substitute historical flood elevations or an approved base flood elevation. 02(s) as the safety margin that compensates for unknowns such as wave action, obstructed bridge openings, debris and ice jams, and the effect of urbanization on runoff. 04(d)(5) turns that definition into a hard construction standard: new construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure, including manufactured homes, must have the lowest floor, including the basement, elevated to or above the Flood Protection Elevation.
If flood protection elevation data are not available for the site, the fallback is a minimum of two feet above the highest adjacent natural grade. Structures built on fill up to or above the base flood elevation are deemed to satisfy the related anchoring and flood-resistant-materials requirements. Enclosures below the elevated lowest floor are allowed only for parking, building access, or storage, and must either be engineered to automatically equalize hydrostatic forces or carry at least two flood vents per enclosed wall sized to one square inch per square foot of enclosed area, with openings no higher than one foot above grade.
Violations & Fines
Elevating a residential structure below the required Flood Protection Elevation, or filling in flood vents required under Section 1379.04(d)(6), is a violation of Chapter 1379 enforced under Section 1379.06. Violations are strict liability, fourth-degree misdemeanors prosecuted by the City, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; the Floodplain Administrator can also require an Increased Cost of Compliance insurance claim process for substantially damaged structures rebuilt below standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above base flood elevation must a new home's lowest floor sit in Medina?
What if there's no published base flood elevation for my lot?
Can I finish a walkout basement below the Flood Protection Elevation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medina
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