Sedgwick County, KS Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

The floodplain permit requirement sits in Chapter 13 of the Sedgwick County Code, adopted by Resolution No. 14-2007 and amended through Resolution No. 143-2016. Sec. 13-4 limits the chapter's reach to unincorporated Sedgwick County: it applies only to areas of special flood hazard mapped in the Flood Insurance Study for "Sedgwick County, Kansas, Unincorporated Areas," dated December 22, 2016, and the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Property inside the City of Wichita's limits falls under the city's own floodplain provisions, not this county chapter.

Sec. 13-37 requires a separate floodplain development permit for each project before construction, substantial improvement, filling, grading or storage of materials begins within a mapped hazard area. Applications go to the county's floodplain administrator, housed in the Department of Code Enforcement, on forms that call for scaled plans showing elevations, the lowest floor elevation of any structure, floodproofing certification from a registered professional engineer or architect for nonresidential buildings, and a description of any watercourse alteration. The permit fee is set separately in Sec. 13-43 and must be paid when the application is filed.

Variances are limited under Sec. 13-39: the administrator may only issue one for new construction on a half-acre lot or smaller surrounded by existing structures already built below the base flood elevation, and none may be issued inside a designated floodway if it would raise the base flood elevation. Applicants who receive a variance must be notified in writing that flood insurance premiums can run as high as $25 per $100 of coverage. Appeals from the administrator's decisions go to the subdivision committee of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, filed in writing within 30 days with a $100 nonrefundable fee, then on to the full Commission and finally the Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners.