Cranston, RI Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Cranston, RI, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Zoning Code Ch. 17.76, flood hazard districts
- Reference standard
- 1972 U.S. Army Corps flood-proofing manual
- Appeals/variances
- Heard by the Zoning Board of Review
- Penalty
- Up to $100 per day, § 15.04.110
- Administered by
- Building inspector, Dept. of Inspections
Summary
Cranston's building inspector determines flood-proofing adequacy for property in the zoning code's flood hazard districts using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 1972 flood-proofing manual as the technical reference, per Code § 15.04.140.
In order to comply with the regulations set forth in Title 17 of the code, entitled "Zoning" the building inspector may use as a reference in determining the suitability or adequacy of flood-proofing methods the publication entitled "Flood-Proofing Regulations, Office of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C., June 1972."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4824304; v14 updated 2026-05-18).
Full Breakdown
Cranston's zoning code (Title 17, Chapter 17.76) establishes flood hazard districts, and the building code cross-references it directly: § 15.04.140 has the building inspector use the Army Corps of Engineers' "Flood-Proofing Regulations" (June 1972) as the reference standard when judging whether a proposed flood-proofing method is adequate for a site in a mapped flood hazard district. Appeals of the building inspector's flood hazard rulings, and any request for a variance, go to the Zoning Board of Review, not the inspector or city council, under the definitions tied to Chapter 17.76 in § 17.04.030.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 15.04's catch-all penalty applies: violating any provision without a specified penalty draws a fine up to $100.00 per offense, with each day a separate offense (§ 15.04.110).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cranston regulate building in flood zones?
Who decides an appeal over a flood hazard ruling?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cranston
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Flood Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle flood zones.