Sampson County, NC Hurricane Preparedness: Flood Elevation (2026)
Key Facts
- Form required
- FEMA Form 086-0-33 Elevation Certificate
- Pre-construction cert
- Due before any new construction starts
- Final cert
- Required before Certificate of Compliance/Occupancy issuance
- Photo requirement
- At least 2 color photos, minimum 3 by 3 inches
- Variance warning
- Premiums may rise up to $25 per $100 of coverage
Summary
Before breaking ground on new construction in a Sampson County Special Flood Hazard Area, the permit holder must give the Floodplain Administrator a FEMA Elevation Certificate proving the reference level's height. Sec. 2-3-04.B(3)(a) requires it before and after construction, and Sec. 2-3-04.E(7) makes the county warn variance recipients that building below the Base Flood Elevation raises flood-insurance costs.
(i) An Elevation Certificate (FEMA Form 086-0-33) is required prior to the actual start of any new construction. It shall be the duty of the permit holder to submit to the Floodplain Administrator a certification of the elevation of the reference level, in relation to NAVD 1988. The Floodplain Administrator shall review the certificate data submitted. Deficiencies detected by such review shall be corrected by the permit holder prior to the beginning of construction. Failure to submit the certification or failure to make required corrections shall be cause to deny a floodplain development permit. ... Any applicant to whom a variance is granted shall be given written notice specifying the difference between the BFE and the elevation to which the structure is to be built and that such construction below the BFE increases risks to life and property, and that the issuance of a variance to construct a structure below the BFE may result in increased premium rates for flood insurance up to $25 per $100 of insurance coverage.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 2-3-04.B(3)(a)(i) requires an Elevation Certificate (FEMA Form 086-0-33) before a permit holder starts any new construction in a Special Flood Hazard Area, certifying the reference level's elevation relative to NAVD 1988; the Floodplain Administrator reviews it and can deny the Floodplain Development Permit if deficiencies are not corrected first. A second, Finished Construction Elevation Certificate is due after construction and before the county issues a Certificate of Compliance/Occupancy, and it must include at least two color photographs of the building's front and rear, at least 3 inches by 3 inches, taken within 90 days of certification, plus extra side-view shots for split-level homes and a foundation photo showing any flood openings.
This paperwork matters most going into hurricane season: property owners who cannot show a compliant elevation certificate risk having their permit or occupancy held up right when storm-driven flooding is most likely. Separately, Sec. 2-3-04.E(7) requires that anyone granted a variance to build below the Base Flood Elevation receive written notice of the exact gap between the BFE and the approved build elevation, along with a warning that building below the BFE increases risk to life and property and can raise flood insurance premiums by as much as $25 per $100 of coverage.
Violations & Fines
Missing or deficient elevation paperwork carries its own consequence separate from the ordinance's Class 1 misdemeanor: the Floodplain Administrator must deny the Floodplain Development Permit if the pre-construction Elevation Certificate is not submitted or corrected, and must withhold the Certificate of Compliance/Occupancy if the Finished Construction Elevation Certificate is missing or shows the building was built below the required elevation, per Sec. 2-3-04.B(3)(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
What Elevation Certificate does Sampson County require before construction?
What happens if I skip the pre-construction elevation certificate?
What does the final elevation certificate need to include?
What if my Sampson County variance lets me build below the Base Flood Elevation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sampson County
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