St. George, UT Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential freeboard
- 2 feet above BFE
- Nonresidential freeboard
- 1 foot above BFE
- Manufactured homes
- 1 foot above BFE
- Administered by
- city engineer or designee
- Governing code
- St. George City Code § 10-13C-4(F)
Summary
St. George requires new residential construction in flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor at least two feet above base flood elevation, one foot more than the FEMA minimum required for commercial buildings.
New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to two feet (2') or more above the base flood elevation... Nonresidential Construction: New construction and substantial improvements of any commercial, industrial or other nonresidential structure shall either have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to one foot (1') above the level of the base flood elevation, or... be floodproofed so that below the base flood level the structure is watertight from the passage of water
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-062, passed August 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City code requires two feet of freeboard for new construction in the flood hazard overlay: residential structures must elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, at least two feet above the base flood elevation set on FEMA's flood insurance rate map. Nonresidential buildings need only one foot of elevation, or equivalent floodproofing certified by a licensed engineer. Manufactured homes get one foot of freeboard. The city engineer administers the flood hazard development permit required before any development proceeds in a mapped special flood hazard area.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required elevation or floodproofing certification violates the flood hazard development permit conditions; the city engineer can withhold permit approval or require correction before occupancy is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does St. George require freeboard above the base flood elevation?
Who enforces St. George's flood hazard construction standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. George
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