Henrico County, VA Environmental Rules: Flood Elevation Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard freeboard
- 2 ft above BFE for most new buildings
- 500-yr / 40-ft buffer
- 1 ft above BFE minimum
- Critical facilities
- BFE+2 ft or 500-yr flood+1 ft, whichever higher
- Residential in SFHA
- Barred outright; 15-ft setback outside it
- Proof required
- FEMA elevation certificate 086-0-33
- Accessory exception
- Under 600 sq ft, flood openings, below BFE allowed
Summary
Henrico's floodplain code sets minimum construction heights above the base flood elevation (BFE) for anything built in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area. Ordinary new buildings must sit at least two feet above the BFE, structures in the 500-year floodplain or near the SFHA edge need at least one foot of freeboard, and new residential structures and critical facilities cannot be located inside the SFHA at all.
(11) New or substantially improved critical facilities and new or substantially improved residential structures may not be located inside the SFHA. (12) A new critical facility may be located in the 500-year floodplain if the building or structure is outside the SFHA and its lowest floor is elevated to either the BFE plus two feet or the 500-year flood elevation plus one foot, whichever is greater. (13) New or substantially improved residential structures may not be located closer to a SFHA than 15 feet. (14) New buildings or structures other than critical facilities or residential structures may be constructed in the SFHA if the elevation of the lowest floor, including mechanical equipment, is a minimum of two feet above the BFE. (15) New construction or substantial improvements located in the 500-year floodplain or that are closer to the SFHA than 40 feet must have the lowest floor, including mechanical equipment, elevated a minimum of one foot above the BFE.
Full Breakdown
Henrico County Code Section 10-9 spells out the elevation math behind every floodplain permit. Paragraph (11) bars new or substantially improved critical facilities and residential structures from the Special Flood Hazard Area outright; no freeboard allowance gets them in. Paragraph (12) lets a new critical facility sit in the 500-year floodplain only if it stays outside the SFHA and its lowest floor, mechanical equipment included, is raised to whichever is higher: the BFE plus two feet, or the 500-year flood elevation plus one foot. Paragraph (13) keeps new or substantially improved residential structures at least 15 feet back from the SFHA boundary even outside the mapped zone.
For every other new building or structure, paragraph (14) requires the lowest floor, including mechanical equipment, to sit a minimum of two feet above the BFE before it can go up inside the SFHA. Paragraph (15) tightens the rule for anything in the 500-year floodplain or within 40 feet of the SFHA: the lowest floor and its mechanical equipment must be elevated at least one foot above the BFE. The companion construction standards in Section 10-10 carry these numbers into the build itself, requiring flood-resistant materials and utility equipment, anchoring against flotation and lateral movement, and an elevation certificate (FEMA Form 086-0-33) submitted and approved by the floodplain administrator once the lowest floor is framed and again before a certificate of occupancy issues.
A small accessory structure, no larger than 600 square feet, can have its lowest floor below the BFE only if it is anchored, built of flood-resistant material, and fitted with flood openings sized to at least one square inch per square foot of enclosed area.
Violations & Fines
Building below the required freeboard height, or skipping the elevation certificate the floodplain administrator must approve before framing and again before occupancy, violates Article I under Section 10-21. Henrico prosecutes it as a Class 1 misdemeanor under the general penalty in Section 1-13, and the county can withhold a certificate of occupancy or declare the noncompliant structure a nuisance subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high above the base flood elevation must a new Henrico building sit?
Can a house be built inside the floodplain at all?
What proves a building meets the elevation requirement?
Is there an exception for small storage buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Henrico County
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