Salt Lake City, UT Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Lowest floor at/above base flood elevation
- AO/AH zones
- 2 ft above grade if no FIRM depth
- Administered by
- City floodplain administrator
- Applies to
- New construction & substantial improvements
Summary
New homes and additions in Salt Lake City's mapped floodplain hazard area must have the lowest floor built at or above the base flood elevation before any permit is finaled.
All new construction and substantial improvements of residential structures within the floodplain hazard area shall have the lowest floor (including basement), elevated to or above the base flood elevation.
C. All new construction and substantial improvements of residential structures within any AO or AH zone on the FIRM shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated above the highest adjacent grade at least as high as the depth number specified in feet on the FIRM (at least 2 feet if no depth number is specified).
D. All new construction and substantial improvements of nonresidential structures within the floodplain hazard area shall have the lowest floor (including basement):
1. Elevated to or above the base flood level; or
2. Together with attendant utility and sanitary facilities, be designed and constructed in compliance with applicable building codes so that below the base flood level:
a. The structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water,
b. Structural components have the capability of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy,
c. Where floodproofing is utilized to meet the standards of this subsection D, a registered professional engineer or licensed architect shall certify that the floodproofing methods comply with the building codes and are adequate, according to accepted engineering standards to withstand the flood
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake City Code chapter 18.68 governs construction in the floodplain hazard area shown on the FEMA flood insurance rate maps. No subdivision plat, site development, or building permit for property in that area can be approved until the project meets the chapter's development standards. Residential lowest floors (including basements) must sit at or above the base flood elevation set by the city floodplain administrator; in AO/AH shallow-flooding zones the lowest floor must clear the highest adjacent grade by the FIRM depth number or at least 2 feet if none is listed. Nonresidential structures can floodproof instead, with a registered engineer certifying the design.
Violations & Fines
Building or developing in the floodplain hazard area without meeting these elevation/floodproofing standards, or without a permit, is unlawful under § 18.68.160; the city withholds permits until defective or noncomplying work is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Salt Lake City require extra freeboard above base flood elevation?
Can a business floodproof instead of elevating?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle flood elevation requirements.