FEMA flood zone rules in Greenville County, SC — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Greenville County administers a Floodplain Damage Prevention Ordinance (Ordinance No. 5276) that regulates development in FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zone A and Zone AE). The County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS), which earns Greenville County residents a 15% discount on flood insurance. A Floodplain Development Permit is required before any construction, fill, grading, or other development in the regulatory floodplain.
Greenville County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and has adopted a Floodplain Damage Prevention Ordinance (Ordinance No. 5276) administered by the County's Building Safety Division. The Floodplain Administrator (currently reached at 864.467.7523, 301 University Ridge, Suite S-3100, Greenville, SC 29601) reviews every application for a Floodplain Development Permit, which is required prior to any construction, substantial improvement, fill, grading, or other development activity within the regulatory floodplain.
The regulatory floodplain — the Area of Special Flood Hazard (SFHA) — is delineated by the 2021 FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Greenville County. Areas mapped as Zone A (no base flood elevation determined) and Zone AE (BFE determined) are subject to the ordinance. The ordinance prohibits encroachment, fill, or development in the SFHA unless a SC-Registered Professional Engineer certifies, with supporting technical data, that the proposed work will not result in adverse impact to the floodplain.
Because Greenville County participates in the NFIP's Community Rating System (CRS), residents in the unincorporated county receive a 15% discount on their flood insurance premiums. Property owners can determine whether their parcel is in a flood zone via the Greenville County GIS Flood Zone Search at citygis.greenvillesc.gov.
Developing in the regulatory floodplain without a Floodplain Development Permit, or in violation of the ordinance, is enforced by the Greenville County Floodplain Administrator. The County may issue stop-work orders, require removal of unpermitted fill or structures, and refer continued noncompliance for civil penalties. Unpermitted floodplain work can also disqualify a property from federal flood insurance under NFIP and jeopardize the County's CRS rating. Report concerns or apply for permits at 864.467.7523.
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See how Greenville County's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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