Midwest City, OK Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard requirement
- 1 ft above base flood elevation
- Applies to
- New construction & substantial improvements
- Certification required
- PE, architect, or land surveyor
- Permit fee
- $25, nonrefundable
- Administrator
- City engineer (floodplain administrator)
Summary
Midwest City requires new and substantially improved residential structures in FEMA-mapped special flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor one foot above the base flood elevation, a one-foot freeboard margin above FEMA's bare minimum.
(1)Residential construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement), elevated to one (1) foot above the base flood elevation. A registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor shall submit a certification to the floodplain administrator that the standard of this subsection as proposed in section 13-37(3)(a), is satisfied.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Under Midwest City Code § 13-52, new construction and substantial improvements in areas of special flood hazard must clear the FEMA base flood elevation by one foot of freeboard. Residential structures must have their lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to that level; nonresidential structures can instead be floodproofed watertight to the same elevation with impermeable walls. A registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor must certify compliance to the floodplain administrator (the city engineer) before a floodplain development permit issues. Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles face separate anchoring and elevation rules under the same section.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required elevation or floodplain development permit is a misdemeanor under § 13-24, with each day of violation a separate offense; the city can also seek an injunction or mandamus in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Midwest City require extra flood freeboard above FEMA's minimum?
Can a commercial building be floodproofed instead of elevated?
Where does this freeboard rule apply in Midwest City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Midwest City
Compare Midwest City to another location·View the Oklahoma environmental rules overview
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle flood elevation requirements.