FEMA flood zone rules in Fort Worth, TX — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Fort Worth regulates floodplain development under Chapter 35 of the Code of Ordinances and participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The city lies along the Trinity River, West Fork, Clear Fork, and Marine Creek with significant FEMA-mapped flood zones. Sec. 35-27 requires a floodplain development permit for any construction or substantial improvement in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Fort Worth enforces a 1-foot freeboard above the base flood elevation for new residential structures.
Fort Worth Code of Ordinances Chapter 7, Article VIII (Floodplain Provisions) and Section 31-105 (Stormwater Management) govern flood zone development. Approximately 48.5 square miles of Fort Worth are in floodplain, primarily along the Trinity River (West Fork and Clear Fork confluence), Mary's Creek, and Sycamore Creek. All new buildings require finished floor elevation minimum 2 feet above base flood elevation. FEMA plats must show floodplain limits, FIRM panel number, community number, and effective date. New City Flood Risk Areas (CFRA), designated July 15, 2024, extend regulation upstream of FEMA floodplains — no development without a CFRA Certificate of Compliance or approved Stormwater Drainage Study, now applying to properties under 1 acre. USACE levees and channel improvements on Clear Fork and West Fork date from post-1949 flood through the 1980s. The Panther Island/Trinity River Vision project is reshaping the confluence area. The city participates in NFIP. Tarrant County requires free floodplain permits with 2-foot freeboard. Contact Fort Worth Floodplain Management at fortworthtexas.gov.
Floodplain violation: up to $2,000 per offense. CFRA development without certificate: stop-work.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Tarrant County.
See how other cities in Tarrant County handle flood zones.
See how Fort Worth's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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