Cobb County, GA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Cobb County, GA, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 58-51
- Permit issuer
- Community Development Agency
- Applies to
- special flood hazard areas
- Prerequisite
- floodplain management plan
Summary
Unincorporated Cobb County requires a development permit before any grading, filling, or construction inside an area of special flood hazard, and won't approve work unless it meets the county's flood-damage-prevention standards.
No owner or developer shall perform any development activities on a site where an area of special flood hazard is located, or is proposed to be altered or disturbed in any way, without first meeting the requirements of this article prior to commencing the proposed activity. A development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this article prior to the commencement of development activities.
Unless specifically excluded by this article, any owner or developer desiring a permit for a development activity shall submit to the county community development agency a permit application on a form provided by the county community development agency for that purpose.
No development permit will be approved for any development activities that do not meet the requirements, restrictions and criteria of this article.
(Ord. of 10-11-88, art. III, § C; Code 1977, § 3-14-7; Ord. of 4-13-04; Ord. of 2-27-07)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Section 58-51 bars any development activity, building, grading, filling, or land disturbance, within a mapped area of special flood hazard until the owner secures a development permit from the county community development agency. No permit will be approved unless the proposed work meets every requirement, restriction, and criterion of the flood damage prevention article, including the site plan and floodplain management plan requirements in § 58-52.
Violations & Fines
Development inside a special flood hazard area without an approved permit violates § 58-51, and can trigger stop-work orders and permit revocation under § 58-52(e).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a Cobb County floodplain?
Who reviews floodplain development permits in unincorporated Cobb County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia environmental rules overview
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