Lancaster County, NE Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard
- 1 foot above regulatory flood elevation
- Applies to
- New construction and substantial improvements, FF district
- Non-residential option
- Floodproofing to the same level allowed
- Garage exception
- Storage/vehicle buildings may sit lower if flood-resistant
- AO Zones
- 1 to 2 feet above the mapped depth
Summary
New and substantially improved buildings in Lancaster County's floodway fringe must have their lowest floor at least one foot above the regulatory flood elevation, the county's freeboard requirement written into § 11.017 of the zoning resolution's Flood Plain District article.
All new construction or substantial improvements of residential structures shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above one (1) foot above the regulatory flood elevation. Garages and storage buildings used exclusively for the storage of motor vehicles, and storage of other items readily removable in the event of a flood warning may have their lowest floor below flood elevation provided the building structure is capable of withstanding hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces caused by the 100 year flood and further provided that no utilities are installed in the building except elevated or floodproofed electrical fixtures. If the building is converted to another use, it must be brought into full compliance with the requirements of this article governing such uses. All new construction or substantial improvements of non-residential structures shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above one (1) foot above the regulatory flood elevation level, or, together with all attendant utility and sanitary facilities, be floodproofed to that level.
Full Breakdown
015. 029 defines as the water-surface elevation FEMA's Flood Insurance Study assigns to the 100-year, or base, flood. Non-residential buildings get the same one-foot freeboard requirement, but with an alternative: they may instead be floodproofed to that level along with their utility and sanitary equipment, certified by a registered professional engineer or architect. A narrow exception lets garages and storage buildings used only for vehicles or removable items sit below the flood elevation, provided the structure can withstand hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces from the 100-year flood and carries no permanent utilities except elevated or floodproofed electrical fixtures; converting that structure to another use forces full compliance with the elevation rule.
017 requires the lowest floor to sit at least one foot above the depth number shown on the FIRM, or two feet if the map lists no depth number. Fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor used only for parking, building access or storage need at least one square inch of flood-vent opening for every square foot of enclosed area, with vent openings no higher than one foot above grade, so floodwaters can enter and exit automatically instead of building up pressure against the walls.
Violations & Fines
Building or substantially improving a residential structure in the floodway fringe with its lowest floor below one foot above the regulatory flood elevation, or a non-residential structure that is neither elevated nor floodproofed to that level under § 11.017, is a zoning violation the City of Lincoln's Department of Building and Safety can require be corrected through elevation, floodproofing or removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above flood level does my house's floor need to be?
Can a commercial building be floodproofed instead of elevated?
Does a detached garage have to meet the same one-foot elevation rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster County
Compare Lancaster County to another location·View the Nebraska environmental rules overview
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