Buckeye, AZ Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Buckeye, AZ, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Administered by
- Flood Control District of Maricopa County
- Prerequisite
- Valid FCDMC floodplain use permit
- Maps adopted
- FEMA FIRMs for Maricopa County
- Enforcement
- Stop-work orders, injunctions
Summary
Any development in a mapped flood hazard zone within Buckeye needs a floodplain use permit from the Flood Control District of Maricopa County before the City will issue any other permit, per City Code § 14-1-2.
Establishment of procedures to ensure that all requests for permits for floodplain development will be promptly forwarded to the FCDMC and that no permits will be issued by any agent of the city until a valid floodplain use permit is obtained by the applicant.2.Keeping and maintaining at least three (3) copies of the current regulations (as defined in Section 14-1-3 below) on file with the city clerk.3.Keeping and maintaining elevation certificates (or acceptable records of finished floor elevations) for all structures within the floodplain. Such records shall be retrievable and maintained by the city in conformance with applicable law. (Ord. No. 27-11, § 2, 7-19-2011)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 14, the Floodplain Management Code, assigns floodplain authority within Buckeye to the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC) under A.R.S. Title 48, Chapter 21, and the National Flood Insurance Program. Section 14-1-2(B)(1) directs the City's floodplain administrator (the city manager or a designee) to forward every floodplain-development permit request to the FCDMC, and bars the City from issuing any permit until the applicant holds a valid FCDMC floodplain use permit. Section 14-1-3 separately adopts the FEMA Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Maricopa County, plus the FCDMC's own Floodplain Regulations, by reference as Buckeye's governing flood standards.
Violations & Fines
Developing in a flood hazard zone without the FCDMC permit violates A.R.S. § 48-3615 and this chapter, and can bring a stop-work order, permit revocation, or an injunction under § 14-1-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Buckeye run its own floodplain permit process?
What flood maps apply in Buckeye?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Buckeye
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Flood Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle flood zones.