Wellington, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Default elevation
- 2 feet above highest adjacent grade
- Applies to
- Approximate Zone A, no published BFE
- Preferred source
- Engineering data before default applies
- Governing section
- Sec. 5-34
Summary
When a Wellington property in a flood hazard area has no base flood elevation on the FEMA map, the floodplain administrator can set it at two feet above the highest adjacent grade under Village Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-34, rather than leaving the elevation undetermined.
Sec. 5-34. - Information in flood hazard areas without base flood elevations (approximate Zone A). Where flood hazard areas are delineated on the FIRM and base flood elevation data have not been provided, the floodplain administrator shall: ... C.Where base flood elevation and floodway data are not available from another source, where the available data are deemed by the floodplain administrator to not reasonably reflect flooding conditions, or where the available data are known to be scientifically or technically incorrect or otherwise inadequate:1.Require the applicant to include base flood elevation data prepared in accordance with currently accepted engineering practices; or2.Specify that the base flood elevation is two feet above the highest adjacent grade at the location of the development, provided there is no evidence indicating flood depths have been or may be greater than two feet.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-34 (Information in flood hazard areas without base flood elevations) governs approximate Zone A parcels, where a flood hazard area is delineated on the Flood Insurance Rate Map but no base flood elevation figure has been published. The floodplain administrator first requires the applicant to submit base flood elevation data prepared under currently accepted engineering practices, or obtains and provides base flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal or state agency. Only where no such data exists, where the available data does not reasonably reflect flooding conditions, or where it is known to be scientifically or technically incorrect, does subsection (C)(2) let the administrator specify that the base flood elevation is two feet above the highest adjacent grade at the development site, and only if there is no evidence that flood depths there have been, or may be, greater than two feet.
Where the applicant instead wants to use the elevation data to support a FEMA letter of map change, Sec. 5-34(D) requires the analysis to be prepared by a Florida-licensed engineer in FEMA's required format, with the applicant responsible for the submittal requirements and processing fees. This determination feeds directly into Sec. 5-33's mapping submittal requirements and into the substantial-improvement and substantial-damage review the floodplain administrator conducts under Sec. 5-20 for any later work on the same parcel.
Violations & Fines
Building or filling on an approximate Zone A parcel to a floor elevation below the base flood elevation the floodplain administrator has set under Sec. 5-34, without first obtaining a variance under Sec. 5-43 through 5-50, is a violation subject to the notice and enforcement procedures of Sec. 5-51 through 5-54; a variance granted to build below that elevation also carries the flood-insurance-cost disclosure required under Sec. 5-50(B)(5).
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a Wellington lot's flood zone has no published base flood elevation?
Can a Wellington property owner challenge the two-foot default elevation?
Where does Wellington get the base flood elevation figures it relies on?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wellington
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Wellington to another location·View the Florida environmental rules overview
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Flood Elevation Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle flood elevation requirements.