Montgomery County, VA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Montgomery County, VA, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Zoning Ch. 10, Art. III, § 10-37
- Districts
- Floodway, Special Floodplain, Approximated, Shallow Flooding
- Map basis
- FEMA FIRM dated Sept. 25, 2009
- Permit required
- Zoning permit before any development
- Enforcing office
- Zoning Administrator, Planning and GIS Services
- Max criminal fine
- $1,000 per offense, per day
Summary
In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, the zoning ordinance's Flood Damage Prevention Overlay divides FEMA-mapped land into four districts, Floodway, Special Floodplain, Approximated Floodplain and Shallow Flooding, and requires a zoning permit before any development occurs inside any of them.
The Floodway District is delineated, for purposes of this section, using the criterion that certain areas within the floodplain must be capable of carrying the waters of the one hundred (100)-year flood without increasing the water surface elevation of that flood more than one (1) foot at any point. ... The Special Floodplain District shall be those areas identified as an AE Zone on the maps accompanying the Flood Insurance Study for which one hundred (100)-year flood elevations have been provided. The Approximated Floodplain District shall be those areas identified as an A or A99 Zone on the maps accompanying the Flood Insurance Study. ... The Shallow Flooding District shall be those areas identified as Zone AO or AH on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
Full Breakdown
The overlay applies to all land the FEMA Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Map (dated September 25, 2009, as amended) place in the one hundred-year floodplain, and it is layered on top of the county's regular base zoning district for that parcel. The Floodway District covers ground that must carry the one hundred-year flood without raising the water surface more than one foot. The Special Floodplain District is mapped AE Zone land with published base flood elevations. The Approximated Floodplain District, mapped A or A99, has no published elevation, so an applicant must have a licensed engineer calculate one.
The Shallow Flooding District covers AO or AH zones with one to three feet of ponding or sheet flow. Before any permit issues, the applicant must submit the site's base flood elevation, lowest floor elevation, topographic data and, for floodproofed nonresidential buildings, the floodproofing elevation, on a certificate signed by a licensed surveyor, engineer or architect and recorded with the circuit court clerk before an occupancy certificate is issued. New construction must also follow the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and be anchored against flotation and lateral movement.
Encroachments, fill and new construction inside the Floodway District are flatly prohibited unless a professional engineer certifies no rise in the one hundred-year flood elevation. Variance requests go to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which must weigh danger from increased flood heights, availability of non-flood-prone alternatives and effect on the comprehensive plan before granting relief.
Violations & Fines
Section 1.5 routes floodplain violations to the zoning chapter's general enforcement in Sec. 10-52. The zoning administrator serves a written notice of violation giving up to thirty days to correct the problem (longer for structural work), then a second seven-day notice. Uncorrected violations become a Class 2 misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, or the county may instead pursue a civil violation carrying a $200 fine for the first summons and $500 for each later summons from the same facts, capped at $5,000 total.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a floodplain in Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg?
What are the four floodplain districts in the county's overlay?
Can I fill or build inside the Floodway District?
What happens if I develop in the floodplain without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
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