New Port Richey, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard required
- Design flood elevation + 1 foot
- Applies to
- Mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems
- Enforced by
- City floodplain administrator
- Max penalty
- $500 fine or 60 days jail
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. No. 2014-2035, amended 2024-2303
Summary
In flood hazard areas of New Port Richey, Florida, Pasco County's largest Gulf-side city, the Land Development Code requires mechanical, electrical, and plumbing equipment to sit at least one foot above the design flood elevation, on top of Florida Building Code minimums.
(5) Have mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems above the design flood elevation plus one (1) foot, except that minimum electric service required to address life safety and electric code requirements is permitted below the design flood elevation provided it conforms to the provisions of the electrical part of building code for wet locations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
New Port Richey's Flood Damage Prevention ordinance is Chapter 22 of the city's Land Development Code, enacted by Ord. No. 2014-2035 and amended by Ord. No. 2024-2303: it superseded the city's older 1990s-era flood chapter. The Florida Building Code sets the elevation standard for most habitable structures, but Section 22.16.01(5) adds a locally-required freeboard for development the chapter or the building code doesn't otherwise address: mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems must sit at least one foot above the design flood elevation, with a narrow exception for life-safety electric service built to wet-location standards.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 22 is a misdemeanor under Section 22.08.04: up to a $500 fine, 60 days in jail, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the one-foot freeboard apply to my house's living space?
Where are New Port Richey's flood hazard areas mapped?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Port Richey
Florida rules heatmap·Compare New Port Richey to another location·View the Florida environmental rules overview
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pasco County handle flood elevation requirements.