Fort Worth, TX Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Land disturbance inside a City Flood Risk Area
- Under 1 acre
- CFRA Certificate of Compliance, engineer-sealed
- 1 acre or more
- Stormwater Drainage Study required
- Design flood elevation
- 100-year flood plus 2 ft freeboard
- Elevation certificate deadline
- 60 days after construction completion
- Enforcing official
- Floodplain Administrator or code compliance officer
- Effective date
- July 15, 2024 (Ord. 26962-06-2024)
Summary
Fort Worth requires a CFRA Certificate of Compliance, or a full Stormwater Drainage Study for one-acre-plus projects, before anyone builds within a City Flood Risk Area, drainage-prone land upstream of FEMA's mapped floodplains. New structures must reach the design flood elevation, the 100-year flood plus two feet of freeboard, and building permits are denied without approval.
A CFRA Certificate of Compliance is required for developments with less than one acre of land disturbance to ensure compliance with the provisions of this division. A development with areas of land disturbance of one acre or more will not require a CFRA Certificate of Compliance, but must comply with the city's Stormwater Criteria Manual. No development shall occur on any land within a CFRA unless a CFRA Certificate of Compliance or a Stormwater Drainage Study has been approved by the city.
Full Breakdown
2). 4). 3). No building permit issues without one of these approvals unless the Floodplain Administrator exempts the work as a 'minor project,' such as paving a driveway at existing grade. 5). 6). 7).
Violations & Fines
Developing within a CFRA without an approved Certificate of Compliance or Stormwater Drainage Study is an offense under § 7-392.9. The violator must restore the property to its prior condition or bring it into compliance, and the Floodplain Administrator or any code compliance officer can enforce the division under the same misdemeanor penalty as other floodplain violations, § 7-351, up to $2,000 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a City Flood Risk Area in Fort Worth?
Do I need an engineer for a small project in a CFRA?
How high does my house need to sit in a CFRA?
What happens if I build in a CFRA without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle stormwater management.