South Bend, IN Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard standard, FPG
- base flood elevation + 2 feet
- Floodplain Administrator
- City Building Commissioner
- Permit required
- Floodplain Development Permit before SFHA work
- Residential elevation rule
- lowest floor at/above FPG in Zone A/AE
- Fill setback requirement
- extends 10 ft beyond foundation
- Floodway construction
- needs Indiana DNR approval first
Summary
New and substantially improved residential structures in South Bend's mapped flood hazard areas must have their lowest floor built at or above the Flood Protection Grade, defined as the base flood elevation plus two feet of freeboard. A Floodplain Development Permit from the Building Commissioner, acting as Floodplain Administrator, is required before any development begins in the SFHA.
(28)Flood Protection Grade (FPG) is the BFE plus two (2) feet at any given location in the SFHA. (See "Freeboard") ... In Zone A and Zone AE, new construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor; including basement, at or above the FPG.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
2(28) defines the Flood Protection Grade (FPG), the city's freeboard standard, as the base flood elevation plus two feet at any given location in the special flood hazard area. 5(c)(2)b then applies that number directly to homes: in Zone A and Zone AE, new construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure must have the lowest floor, including basement, at or above the FPG. If solid foundation walls are used to elevate the structure, flood openings must equalize hydrostatic pressure per the code's engineering criteria; if fill is used instead, the fill must extend at least ten feet beyond the foundation before sloping below the base flood elevation.
5(c)(3)b: elevate the lowest floor to or above the FPG, or floodproof to that same elevation and certify it under a registered engineer or architect. 4(a) names the Building Commissioner as the Floodplain Administrator who reviews the application, which must show plans, elevations in NAVD 88, and, for a floodway site, approval from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources under the state Flood Control Act (IC 14-28-1). 5(e).
Violations & Fines
Building, altering or filling in the special flood hazard area without a Floodplain Development Permit, or against the permit's conditions, is a violation punishable by the fine set in Section 21-13.02(h), with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense under Section 6-38.3(i). The Zoning Administrator must also notify the owner that a willful violation can suspend the property's Standard Flood Insurance Policy coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above base flood elevation must a South Bend home be built?
Who administers South Bend's floodplain permit?
Do I need a permit to build in a South Bend floodway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in South Bend
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