Spokane County, WA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

The permit duty in SCC 3.20.300 attaches to the property, not just the building. If any portion of a parcel sits in an area of special flood hazard, a floodplain development permit is required before any development, structure, manufactured home, works or fill is undertaken, constructed, located, extended, connected or altered. Chapter 3.20 defines development as any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including buildings, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling, and storage of equipment or materials within the hazard area. The hazard areas are those shown in the Flood Insurance Study for Spokane County and its Flood Insurance Rate Maps dated July 6, 2010, with later revisions, and the best available flood information governs until a new FIRM is issued (SCC 3.20.210).

The county engineer/public works director is the coordinator who grants or denies permits (SCC 3.20.330). Applications go on the director's forms with scaled plans in multiple copies showing the nature, location, dimensions and elevations of the area, structures, fill, stored materials and drainage facilities. SCC 3.20.310 also requires the lowest-floor elevation, including any basement, on a current elevation certificate from a Washington-licensed surveyor, the elevation to which any structure is floodproofed, a licensed civil engineer or architect certification of anchoring, materials and floodproofing, and a description of how any watercourse will be altered or relocated. The director attaches conditions to approvals and can waive some provisions where the development is reasonably safe from flooding, is not likely to substantially alter flood flows, and flood damage potential is limited (SCC 3.20.340(a)(3)).

The building and planning department's building director cannot issue a building permit until the floodplain permit has been approved (SCC 3.20.350(a)). Fees follow the current floodplain fee schedule adopted by county commissioners' resolution, with separate fees for residential, commercial and limited-office-review residential permits, appeals and variances, and correction of violations. Engineering review time is billed at actual staff time, and the director can require a bond. The fee section carries an amendment by Res. No. 2026-0027 dated 1-13-2026 (SCC 3.20.710). Once a permit is granted, the build must meet the chapter's standards, such as a residential lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation (SCC 3.20.610(a)).