Orem, UT Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Orem opted into the National Flood Insurance Program administered by FEMA, and Chapter 10 of the City Code, Flood Damage Prevention, implements that commitment locally under the authority of Utah Code 10-9a-505. Before construction or development begins within any FEMA-mapped area of special flood hazard, City Code 10-4-3 requires a development permit, which can take the form of a preliminary plat, site plan, or building permit depending on the project. The application must show the elevation of the lowest floor of proposed structures, any floodproofing elevation, and how the project affects nearby watercourses, and a registered professional engineer or architect must certify that floodproofing on non-residential buildings meets the standard in Section 10-5-2(B).

Section 10-5-2 sets the core numeric rule: new construction and substantial improvement of a residential structure must have its lowest floor, including the basement, elevated at least one foot above the base flood elevation, certified by a registered engineer, architect, or land surveyor. Non-residential buildings must meet the same one-foot elevation or be floodproofed watertight to that height. The Development Review Committee reviews every permit for adverse effects on flood-carrying capacity, and the Floodplain Administrator keeps the permit record on file. Encroachments, fill, and new construction are barred in a mapped floodway unless engineering analysis shows no increase in base flood levels, and a floodway may not raise the base flood level more than one foot.

The Board of Adjustment hears variance requests, and any decision can be appealed to the courts. Violating Chapter 10, including building without the required permit or below the mandated elevation, is a class C misdemeanor under Section 10-5-6.