Quincy, MA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- Floodplain Overlay District (FPOD)
- Standard
- 100-year flood elevation
- Permit body
- Board of Appeals special permit
- Administrator
- Building Commissioner
- Maps
- FEMA FIRM/FIS, Norfolk County
Summary
Quincy, Massachusetts requires a Board of Appeals special permit for development in its Floodplain Overlay District, and any approved structure must be built to the 100-year flood elevation shown on the Norfolk County FEMA maps.
In the FPOD, the Board of Appeals, (or, in the case of the QCD-10 or QCD-15 Districts, the Planning Board) may grant a special permit for any use or structure allowed in the underlying district, subject to the following; provided, however, that Urban Renewal Uses are exempt from this requirement:
1. The request has been referred to the Planning Board, the Health Commissioner, the City Engineer and the Conservation Commission and reported upon by all, or 35 days shall have elapsed following such referral without receipt of such reports.
2. The proposed use will not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.
3. The proposed use and/or structure will be built in accordance with the 100- year flood elevation as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and Federal Insurance Study (FIS) for the City of Quincy.
4. The proposed use will comply in all respects to the provisions of the underlying district or districts within which the land is located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4608810; v7 updated 2025-10-06; through 10-06-2025).
Full Breakdown
Quincy's Floodplain Overlay District (FPOD, Zoning § 8.1) layers flood rules onto the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas mapped for Norfolk County. New construction and other development need a City permit, and where the Board of Appeals (or the Planning Board in the QCD-10/QCD-15 Districts) grants the required special permit, the proposed use or structure must be built in accordance with the 100-year flood elevation defined by HUD's Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study for Quincy. The Building Commissioner is designated the city's floodplain administrator and keeps elevation and flood-proofing certificates on file.
Violations & Fines
Building in the FPOD without the required special permit, or below the 100-year flood elevation, violates the ordinance; the Building Commissioner tracks elevation certificates and flood-proofing records for every affected structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Quincy set a freeboard above base flood elevation?
Who administers Quincy's floodplain rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Quincy
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