Colonie, NY Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)
Key Facts
- Elevation datum
- Stated in relation to mean sea level
- Who certifies
- Licensed professional engineer or land surveyor
- When due
- After lowest floor is placed or floodproofing completed
- Manufactured homes
- Certificate required upon placement on site
- Recreational vehicles
- Certificate needed if on-site 180+ consecutive days
- Building before approval
- Undertaken entirely at owner's own risk
Summary
Before Colonie's PEDD Director will issue a floodplain development permit for new or substantially improved construction in Zones A1-A30, AE, or AH, the applicant must state the proposed elevation of the lowest floor, including any basement or cellar, in relation to mean sea level. Once that floor is in place, a licensed engineer or surveyor must certify the as-built elevation before the project can move forward.
The proposed elevation, in relation to mean sea level, of the lowest floor (including basement or cellar) of any new or substantially improved structure to be located in Zones A1-A30, AE or AH, or Zone A if base flood elevation data are available. Upon completion of the lowest floor, the permittee shall submit to the Director of the PEDD or his/her designee the as-built elevation, certified by a licensed professional engineer or surveyor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4902401; v37 updated 2026-05-28; through 05-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
This elevation-certification duty runs through the whole build. For nonresidential projects that will be floodproofed instead of elevated, the applicant must submit the proposed floodproofed elevation up front and, on completion, a certificate from a licensed engineer or architect confirming the as-built floodproofed elevation and that utility floodproofing meets § 190-100B(3). Manufactured homes need a certification upon placement on the site, and a recreational vehicle needs one too if it stays on a lot 180 consecutive days or longer without being licensed and ready for highway use.
In Zone A, where no base flood elevation data exist, any subdivision or development proposal greater than 50 lots or five acres must supply its own base flood elevation data with the application, and the Director may require a technical analysis by a licensed professional engineer showing whether the project could damage neighboring property. The Director keeps every elevation certification, floodproofing certificate, floodplain permit, and certificate of compliance on file for inspection, and relies on them, together with hydraulic data and encroachment analyses, to decide whether a certificate of compliance can issue.
Violations & Fines
Any further work undertaken before the Director approves the submitted certification is entirely at the permit holder's risk. If the Director's review turns up a deficiency in the elevation data, that is cause to issue a stop-work order unless it is corrected immediately, and disregarding a stop-work order carries the same penalty as building without a permit: a fine of no more than $250 or up to 15 days in jail, with each day of noncompliance counted separately under § 190-98E.
Frequently Asked Questions
What elevation information must I submit before building in a Colonie flood zone?
When is the as-built elevation certificate due?
Who can certify the elevation on a Colonie flood-zone project?
What if I keep building before the certificate is approved?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colonie
New York rules heatmap·Compare Colonie to another location·View the New York hurricane preparedness overview
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Flood Elevation in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Albany County handle flood elevation.