Ocala, FL Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Chapter 90 of the Code of Ordinances, the Floodplain Management Ordinance of the City of Ocala, requires a permit before any development activity in a flood hazard area, and § 90-14 lays out that permitting process. Under § 90-14(a), any owner or authorized agent who wants to undertake development, defined broadly to include buildings, filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling and similar land-disturbing activity, wholly or partly within a flood hazard area must first apply to the floodplain administrator, the city engineer under § 90-13(a), and to the building official where applicable, and get the permit before starting work.

Section 90-14(b) layers a separate floodplain development permit on top of any building permit for development not otherwise subject to the Florida Building Code, including the nine categories of exempt structures listed in § 90-14(c), such as railroads, farm buildings, temporary construction sheds, and utility facilities directly involved in generating or distributing electricity. The application itself, under § 90-14(d), has to describe the development and the land involved, state the intended use, include the site plan or construction documents required by § 90-15, state the work's valuation, and be signed by the applicant or an authorized agent.

Section 90-14(f) sets the permit's shelf life: it becomes invalid if the authorized work does not commence within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after it starts, though the administrator can grant additional 180-day extensions on written request with justifiable cause. Section 90-14(h) also conditions every floodplain and building permit on the applicant separately obtaining any required state or federal permits, including water management district permits and Florida Department of Environmental Protection or Army Corps of Engineers permits affecting wetlands or surface water flows.