Burke County, NC Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Burke County Code Chapter 34 (Floods) governs development in the areas of special flood hazard identified on the county's FEMA flood insurance rate map, dated June 17, 1991. Section 34-9 requires full compliance with the chapter before any structure or land is located, extended, converted, or structurally altered, and § 34-38 requires a development permit before any development activity begins in conformance with the chapter. The chief building inspector serves as local administrator under § 34-36 and reviews every permit application, which under § 34-39 must show the elevation of the lowest floor or, where floodproofed, the floodproofed elevation, plus any watercourse alteration details and engineering effects on upstream and downstream properties.

Where base flood elevation data has not been provided, the application must show the lowest floor built at least two feet above the highest adjacent grade. After the lowest floor is set, the permit holder has 21 calendar days to submit a surveyor's or engineer's certification of the as-built elevation; any work done in that period before certification is submitted is at the permit holder's own risk, and undetected deficiencies must be corrected before further work proceeds. The administrator can issue stop-work orders under § 34-41 (itself a misdemeanor to violate) and revoke permits under § 34-42 for departures from approved plans, noncompliance, or misrepresentation.

Article II gives the administrator inspection authority at reasonable hours under § 34-40 and § 34-43. Under § 34-10, where the flood chapter and another regulation conflict, the more stringent restriction controls, and § 34-11 disclaims county liability for flood damage despite compliance with the ordinance.