St. Petersburg, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeboard requirement
- base flood elevation plus 2 feet
- AO Zone alternative
- FIRM depth number plus 2 ft, or 4 ft min
- Coastal high hazard zones
- lowest structural member at BFE+2 ft
- Fill for structural support
- prohibited in V/VE and Coastal A zones
- Compliance proof
- Elevation Certificate at framing and final inspection
Summary
St. Petersburg's local amendment to the Florida Building Code Residential requires new and substantially improved homes in flood hazard areas, including Coastal A Zones, to elevate their lowest floor to at least two feet above base flood elevation, or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher: a two-foot freeboard above the FEMA minimum.
R322.2.1 Elevation requirements. 1.Buildings and structures in flood hazard areas, including flood hazard areas designated as Coastal A Zones shall have the lowest floors elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 2 feet (610 mm), or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher. 2.In areas of shallow flooding (AO Zones), buildings and structures shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to a height above the highest adjacent grade of not less than the depth number specified in feet (mm) on the FIRM plus 2 feet (610 mm), or not less than 4 feet (1220 mm) if a depth number is not specified.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
1, Elevation requirements. As enacted, it requires that buildings and structures in flood hazard areas, including areas designated Coastal A Zones, have their lowest floors elevated to or above the base flood elevation plus 2 feet, or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher. In AO Zones of shallow flooding, the lowest floor, including any basement, must sit above the highest adjacent grade by at least the depth number shown on the FIRM plus 2 feet, or not less than 4 feet if no depth number is specified.
2 for enclosed areas used solely for parking, building access or storage. 2, covering coastal high hazard areas and Coastal A Zones, elevates the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member, not just the floor, to that same base-flood-elevation-plus-2-feet or design-flood-elevation standard, and flatly bans use of fill for structural support and basements below grade on all sides in those zones. 9 as the elevation of the design flood, including wave height, referenced to the datum on the city's legally designated flood hazard map.
Violations & Fines
Structures in A Zones must submit an Elevation Certificate (Under Construction) to the Floodplain Manager once the lowest floor is placed and before further vertical construction, per Section 16.40.050.6.6, with a second Elevation Certificate (Finished Construction) required at final inspection; V and VE Zone structures instead submit certification at placement of the lowest horizontal structural member. A building lacking that documented lowest-floor elevation is presumed to be a violation under Section 16.40.050.8.1 until the certificate is produced.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above base flood elevation must I build my house in St. Petersburg?
Does St. Petersburg's freeboard rule apply to Coastal A Zones?
What proof of elevation do I need to submit during construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle flood elevation requirements.