Amarillo, TX Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must comply
- One- and two-family dwellings in flood zones
- Certificate sealer
- Texas-licensed Professional Engineer
- Local floodplain authority
- City Engineer, designated Floodplain Manager
- Floodway design standard
- ASCE 24
- Coastal A Zone trigger
- Wave heights of 1.5 to 3 feet
Summary
Any one- or two-family home built in a designated flood zone in Amarillo must carry a finish floor elevation certificate sealed by a Texas-licensed engineer under amended Section R322. The City Engineer serves as the city's Floodplain Manager, setting base flood elevation and the associated permitting requirements.
R322.1 General. Buildings and structures constructed in whole or in part in flood hazard areas (including A or V Zones) as established in Table R301.2(1) shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the provisions contained in this section. Buildings and structures located in whole or in part in identified floodways shall be designed and constructed in accordance with ASCE 24. The City Engineer is designated as the Floodplain Manager. The Floodplain Manager is responsible for determining base flood elevation and associated permitting requirements.
R322 Flood hazard areas elevation certificate required. One and two family dwellings located in a flood zone/area must have a finish floor elevation certificate; the certificate/documentation shall be sealed by a State of Texas licensed Engineer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-3-31 of the Amarillo Municipal Code adopts the International Residential Code's flood-resistant construction provisions and layers on a local certification requirement. Amended Section R322 states that one and two family dwellings located in a flood zone or area must have a finish floor elevation certificate, and that the certificate or documentation must be sealed by a State of Texas licensed engineer. 1 designates the City Engineer as the Floodplain Manager, responsible for determining base flood elevation and the associated permitting requirements, and directs that any reference in Section R322 to 'the building official' instead means the Floodplain Manager.
3. This certificate requirement operates alongside, not in place of, the city's separate Chapter 4-8 freeboard standard for residential construction in the floodplain; the certificate is the engineer-sealed record the Floodplain Manager relies on to confirm exactly how the structure's lowest floor relates to the base flood elevation before signing off on the permit.
Violations & Fines
A one- or two-family home built in a mapped flood zone without an engineer-sealed finish floor elevation certificate cannot obtain final sign-off from the City Engineer acting as Floodplain Manager, and the building permit process under Section 4-3-31 will not close out. Non-compliant construction in a floodway or Coastal A Zone can also jeopardize the property's flood insurance standing, since the certificate is the documentation the city relies on to confirm the structure meets its base flood elevation obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an elevation certificate to build in an Amarillo flood zone?
Who reviews flood elevation compliance in Amarillo?
What building standard applies inside a mapped floodway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amarillo
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Amarillo to another location·View the Texas hurricane preparedness overview
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