Citrus County, FL Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Citrus County Code § 18-200
- Default elevation (Zone A, no data)
- 2 feet above highest adjacent grade
- Certifications required
- At lowest-floor placement and final inspection
- Certifier
- Florida-licensed professional surveyor
- Below-BFE insurance warning
- Up to $25 per $100 of coverage
- Applies to
- Structures exempt from the Florida Building Code
Summary
Buildings exempt from the Florida Building Code but sited in a Citrus County flood hazard area must have their lowest floor's elevation certified twice, once when the floor is placed and again at final inspection, under Sec. 18-200, so the floodplain administrator can confirm it clears the required flood elevation.
(d)Buildings, structures and facilities exempt from the Florida Building Code, lowest floor inspection. Upon placement of the lowest floor, including basement, and prior to further vertical construction, the owner of a building, structure or facility exempt from the Florida Building Code, or the owner's authorized agent, shall submit to the floodplain administrator:(1)If a design flood elevation was used to determine the required elevation of the lowest floor, the certification of elevation of the lowest floor prepared and sealed by a Florida licensed professional surveyor; or(2)If the elevation used to determine the required elevation of the lowest floor was determined in accordance with subsection 18-199(b)(3)(ii) of this article, the documentation of height of the lowest floor above highest adjacent grade, prepared by the owner or the owner's authorized agent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 76).
Full Breakdown
Where a Citrus County flood hazard area has no mapped base flood elevation, an approximate Zone A, Sec. 18-199(b)(3)b lets the floodplain administrator set the design elevation at two feet above the highest adjacent grade at the site, unless the evidence shows flood depths could run higher. Once a project has that elevation, Sec. 18-200 makes proving compliance a two-step certification process for buildings, structures and facilities that the Florida Building Code exempts. At the placement of the lowest floor, including a basement, and before any further vertical construction, the owner or their agent must submit either a certification of the lowest floor's elevation sealed by a Florida-licensed professional surveyor, if a design flood elevation was used, or documentation of the lowest floor's height above the highest adjacent grade, prepared by the owner, if the two-foot default method applied instead.
Subsection (e) requires the same certification again at final inspection. Manufactured homes get their own version of the rule: once one is placed or replaced in a flood hazard area, Sec. 18-200(f) requires certification of the lowest floor's elevation before the floodplain administrator signs off. Elevation numbers also drive the county's variance process: Sec. 18-201(h)(4) requires the floodplain administrator to give any applicant seeking to build a lowest floor below the base flood elevation written notice of the gap between the two elevations and a warning that federal flood insurance on that structure can cost as much as $25 for every $100 of coverage.
Violations & Fines
A building or structure without the lowest floor elevation documentation Sec. 18-200 requires is presumed, under Sec. 18-202(a), to be in violation of the floodplain article until the owner produces it. The floodplain administrator can issue a stop-work order or notice of violation, and continuing work after that notice carries the penalties Florida law sets for the underlying offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the required flood elevation set if there's no FEMA data for my lot?
When do I have to certify my building's floor elevation?
Who can certify the lowest floor elevation?
What happens if I build below the base flood elevation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Citrus County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Citrus County to another location·View the Florida hurricane preparedness overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.