Oakland, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Oakland does not set a citywide base flood elevation freeboard number in its Planning Code. The only quoted elevation standard applies to land mapped on the Zoning Map as within the Sea Level Rise Combining Zone (D-DT-SLR Combining Zone). Any development that includes construction of a new principal building in that zone must submit a Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan (SLRAP) for review and approval by the Director of Planning or their designee, and then implement it as approved. The SLRAP itself must be written by a licensed civil engineer or architect who is approved and managed by the Director's office, not by the property owner directly.

Substantively, the plan must describe site-specific measures addressing changes in projected sea level and groundwater intrusion through the year 2100, covering protection of human life and health, protection of property, minimizing rescue and relief needs from flooding, minimizing prolonged evacuations and business interruptions, and minimizing damage to surrounding public utilities and infrastructure; all structures and infrastructure elements must be designed to be resilient to flood impacts. In preparing the plan, the engineer or architect must consider site-predicted base flood elevations, projected inundation levels through 2100, storm surge, and groundwater table changes, plus any other relevant items the Director identifies.

The operative dimensional standard is in subsection F: the finished floor of the bottom story of new buildings must sit at least twelve inches higher than the future projected inundation level. Only nonhabitable space, such as parking or storage, is allowed beneath that raised finished floor, and the under-floor area must include openings that let water flow freely in and out during a flood event, rather than trapping it against the structure. The section also lists other acceptable resiliency measures, including adding fill to elevate the site and access drives, anchoring the building, siting it in the least flood-vulnerable portion of the parcel, and locating utilities outside the predicted inundation area.