Fresno, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Fresno's Flood Plain Ordinance (FMC Ch. 11, Art. 6, §§ 11-601 to 11-641) applies citywide to "all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the city" (§ 11-606), based on FEMA's Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Fresno County dated February 18, 2009 and later revisions (§ 11-607), on file with the Development and Resource Management Department. Before any construction, fill, storage of materials, or other development begins in one of those zones, § 11-613 requires a building permit application on Flood Plain Administrator forms, with four sets of scaled plans showing elevations, drainage, and proposed structures, plus engineer certifications on flood-water displacement and floodway compliance.

The Building Official serves as the Flood Plain Administrator (§ 11-614) and must confirm under § 11-616 that a site is reasonably safe from flooding and that new development will not raise the base flood water surface more than one foot at any point. Applicants who dispute a mapped boundary can appeal to the Building Commission, or the Hearing Officer if that Commission is inactive (§ 11-622). Where this article and another ordinance, easement, or covenant conflict, the more stringent restriction controls (§ 11-609). Building or altering land in a flood hazard zone without going through this permit process is treated the same as any other unpermitted, noncompliant construction under the ordinance's compliance clause.