Montgomery, AL Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Montgomery City Code § 5-618 requires a floodplain development permit before any development, as the article defines that term, begins in an identified special flood hazard area (SFHA) or other community flood hazard area; § 5-619 backs that up by barring any structure or land change without full compliance. Section 5-651 sets general standards for new construction and substantial improvements: they must be anchored against flotation and lateral movement, built with flood-resistant materials below the base flood elevation (BFE), and designed so utilities won't flood.

Section 5-652 adds the numbers: residential and non-residential structures need their lowest floor elevated at least two feet above the BFE, and a non-residential building may floodproof to that same two-foot mark instead of elevating, certified by an Alabama-licensed engineer or architect. 2-percent-chance flood elevation, whichever is higher. Under § 5-653, no new construction, fill, or other development is allowed in the adopted regulatory floodway unless a registered professional engineer certifies, with a no-rise analysis, that it won't raise the base flood's water surface, and variances for new residential structures in the floodway are never granted.

00 or up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. A written notice of violation gives ten working days to appeal to the Board of Adjustment (24 hours if the violation is a public-safety danger), and a further appeal runs de novo to the Montgomery County Circuit Court.