Rutherford County, TN Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)

Rutherford County's Zoning Ordinance imposes a 3-foot freeboard requirement that exceeds the federal minimum. 1, in AE Zones where Base Flood Elevation (BFE) data is available, new construction and substantial improvement of any residential building or manufactured home must have the lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to no lower than three feet above the BFE. Minimum pad elevations must be at least one foot above the established BFE, or one foot above the highest known water level in areas subject to periodic flooding. Where BFE data has not been established (approximate A Zones) and no alternative data is available, the Floodplain Administrator requires the lowest floor to sit at least three feet above the highest adjacent grade, as defined in Section 1002.

2: only one foot above the BFE where data is available, or three feet above the highest adjacent grade in approximate A Zones, and non-residential buildings may flood-proof in lieu of elevating if a Tennessee-registered professional engineer or architect certifies the design meets accepted standards and files that certification with the Administrator under Subsection 1004 B. 3 requires flood vent openings sized at one square inch of net area per square foot of enclosed area, with the bottom of every opening no higher than one foot above finished grade, so hydrostatic forces equalize automatically during a flood event.

5. Any structure spanning multiple flood zones or multiple BFEs must meet the standard for the most hazardous zone and the highest BFE, per the general provisions in Subsection 1005 A.