Pembroke Pines, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Base freeboard
- 6.5 feet above FIRM datum (NAVD)
- Alternate benchmark
- 18 inches above nearest roadway crown
- Alternate benchmark
- 2 feet above base flood elevation
- Applies to
- Residential, nonresidential, commercial, industrial
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 1775, passed 5-7-14
- Repair exception
- Improvements valued under 50% of market value
Summary
Pembroke Pines requires new and substantially improved buildings to elevate their lowest floor above the highest of five separate flood-datum benchmarks, effectively adding freeboard well beyond the FEMA base flood elevation. The standard, adopted under Broward County's administrative provisions to the Florida Building Code, applies to residential, nonresidential, commercial, and industrial structures alike.
(A) Additional elevation (freeboard). The minimum lowest floor elevation, or level of dry floodproofing, of any residential, nonresidential, commercial, or industrial structure shall be at or above the highest of the following: (1) Six and one-half feet above the datum shown on the FIRM (N.A.V.D.). (2) Minimum floor elevation as set forth in the South Florida Water Management Districts' Surface water management permit. (3) The elevation shown on the 100-year Flood Elevation Map, Latest Revision, prepared by the Broward County Transportation Department. (4) Eighteen inches above the highest point of the paved roadway/drive-lane nearest to the building, except for buildings adjacent to Pines Boulevard. (5) Two feet above the base flood elevation shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-61: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2056, passed 12-11-25).
Full Breakdown
5 feet above the FIRM datum (NAVD), the minimum floor elevation set by the South Florida Water Management District's surface water management permit, the elevation on Broward County's 100-year Flood Elevation Map, eighteen inches above the highest point of the nearest paved roadway or drive lane (except buildings adjacent to Pines Boulevard), and two feet above the base flood elevation shown on the FIRM. 5 feet above the FIRM datum and the work is valued under 50% of the building's pre-improvement market value. The same section bars partitioning or finishing enclosed areas below elevated buildings into separate rooms, limiting access to parking, storage, or entry stairways/elevators.
Fill used to elevate a building must be compacted per ASTM D-698 or an equivalent standard, must extend beyond the building walls before dropping below the base flood elevation, and any fill design must be approved by a registered engineer or the City Engineer. 052 requires certification of the lowest floor's elevation before construction proceeds past that stage.
Violations & Fines
Failing to meet the freeboard elevation is treated as a Chapter 152 violation: a building lacking lowest-floor elevation certification is presumed noncompliant under Section 152.070 until documentation is produced. The Floodplain Administrator can issue a notice of violation or stop work order, and continuing work afterward is a separate offense. Section 152.073 sets the penalty as a misdemeanor: a fine of up to $500 or up to ten days in jail, or both, plus costs, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much freeboard does Pembroke Pines require above base flood elevation?
Does the freeboard rule apply to commercial buildings too?
Is there an exception for repairing an existing house in a flood zone?
Can I finish out the space below my elevated house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pembroke Pines
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pembroke Pines to another location·View the Florida environmental rules overview
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle flood elevation requirements.