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Kingsport, TN Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Significant Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

FEMA flood zone rules in Kingsport, TN, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.

Key Facts

Administrator: City building official (§ 114-264)
Permit: Development permit before any development activity (§ 114-258)
Substantial improvement: Cost of 50 percent of the structure's market value
Penalty: $50.00 per offense plus costs; each day separate
Floodway: Encroachments prohibited unless engineer shows no flood-level increase
Variances: Board of Zoning Appeals hears requests (§ 114-276)

FEMA Flood Zone Lookup

FEMA assigns every parcel in the U.S. a flood-hazard designation on its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Zones starting with A or V are high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas where federally backed mortgages require NFIP flood insurance. Zone X indicates moderate-to-minimal risk, where insurance is optional but often recommended. Your specific zone determines insurance cost, build elevation, and permit requirements in Kingsport, TN.

Zone	What it means	NFIP required?
A	High-risk flood area; 1% annual chance flood, no detailed analysis.	Yes
AE	High-risk; same as A but with established Base Flood Elevations.	Yes
AH	High-risk shallow flooding (1-3 ft), usually ponding.	Yes
AO	High-risk shallow flooding (1-3 ft) with sheet flow on sloping terrain.	Yes
V	High-risk coastal zone subject to wave action (no BFE).	Yes
VE	High-risk coastal zone with wave action and established BFEs.	Yes
X (shaded)	Moderate risk; between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance flood.	Recommended
X	Minimal risk; outside the 0.2% annual chance floodplain.	No

Look up Kingsport, TN on the FEMA flood map

FEMA maps update periodically; verify zone before buying flood insurance or building.

Summary

In the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, Division 5 of Chapter 114 controls building and filling in FEMA-mapped special flood hazard areas. Section 114-257 adopts the flood insurance study and FIRM panels by reference, Section 114-258 requires a development permit before any development activity begins, and the city building official administers the division for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

The areas of special flood hazard identified on the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, as identified by FEMA, and in its flood insurance study (FIS) and flood insurance rate map (FIRM), community panel number(s) 47073C0140D and 47073C0285D dated July 3, 2006, Panel Number(s) 47163C0030D, 47163C0035D, 47163C0040D, 47163C0045D, 47163C0055D, 47163C0060D, 47163C0065D, 47163C0070D, 47163C0210D, 47163C0230D, 47163C0235D, 47163C0245D, and 47163C0255D dated September 29, 2006, Panel Number 47073CIND0E dated June 6, 2024 and panel number(s) 47163CIND0B and 47163C0260E dated July 31, 2024, along with all supporting technical data, are adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this division.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Kingsport's floodplain rules sit in Chapter 114 (Zoning), Article III, Division 5, and apply to all areas within the incorporated area of the City of Kingsport, in Sullivan County, Tennessee (§ 114-256). The Board of Mayor and Aldermen rewrote the division in its entirety by Ord. No. 7164 on July 16, 2024, and the stated reason is to keep the city eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program under 44 CFR 60.3 (§ 114-252). The adopted maps are the FEMA flood insurance study and FIRM panels listed in § 114-257, the newest of which carry June 6, 2024 and July 31, 2024 dates.

Nothing in a mapped hazard area can start without a development permit (§ 114-258). The city building official is the appointed administrator (§ 114-264). The application must show the elevation of the proposed lowest floor, including a basement, the elevation to which any non-residential building will be floodproofed, a FEMA floodproofing certificate from a Tennessee registered professional engineer or architect, and how far any watercourse will be altered or relocated (§ 114-265). In AE zones a Tennessee registered land surveyor must certify the lowest floor elevation, and a finished construction elevation certificate is required before a certificate of compliance or occupancy issues. The administrator keeps that certificate on file in perpetuity.

Floodways get the hardest line. Encroachments, including fill, new construction and substantial improvements, are prohibited in the adopted regulatory floodway unless a registered professional engineer shows through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses that flood levels and floodway widths do not increase during a base flood discharge (§ 114-269). In AE zones without a designated floodway, the cumulative effect of development cannot raise the base flood water surface by more than one foot at any point (§ 114-270). Along unmapped streams, no fill or structures can sit within twice the stream width, measured from the top of each bank, without engineer certification (§ 114-275). Substantial improvement and substantial damage both start at 50 percent of a structure's market value (§ 114-255).

Violations & Fines

A violation of the division, including breaking a condition attached to a variance, is an offense carrying a penalty of $50.00 for each offense plus all costs and expenses of the case, and the court can also impose a fine as prescribed by Tennessee statutes. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense, and the City of Kingsport keeps the right to take other lawful action to prevent or remedy it (§ 114-263). Missing or uncorrected elevation certifications draw a stop-work order, and the finished construction certificate is a condition of the certificate of compliance or occupancy (§§ 114-265, 114-266). A structure without the required certification is presumed to be in violation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit before building in a Kingsport flood zone?

Yes. Section 114-258 requires a development permit before any development activity begins in the areas the division covers, and development is defined to include buildings, filling, grading, paving, excavating and storage of equipment or materials. Applications go to the city building official on forms the city furnishes, with plans drawn to scale showing dimensions and elevations.

Which flood maps does Kingsport use?

Section 114-257 adopts the FEMA flood insurance study and flood insurance rate map panels for the City of Kingsport by reference, along with all supporting technical data. The list includes community panel numbers 47073C0140D and 47073C0285D dated July 3, 2006, and panel 47163C0260E dated July 31, 2024. The newest listed dates are June 6, 2024 and July 31, 2024.

What counts as a substantial improvement?

Under § 114-255, a substantial improvement is any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, alteration or other improvement whose cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the structure's market value before construction starts. Substantial damage uses the same 50 percent test for the cost of restoring a damaged structure. Applicants document costs with itemized estimates, published valuation tables or a qualified estimate under § 114-265.

Can I get a variance from the floodplain rules?

The Kingsport Board of Zoning Appeals hears appeals and variance requests under § 114-276 and decides within ten days of the hearing. Variances follow the standards in § 114-277, which starts from a showing of good and sufficient cause, and none can issue in a designated floodway if flood levels would increase. A variance to build below base flood elevation comes with written notice of higher flood insurance premiums.

Sources & Official References

[1]Code of Ordinances, City of Kingsport, Tennessee (Municode)

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All Kingsport rules

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