How to get a county floodplain development permit
General information, not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
Who grants it: The county floodplain administrator (usually in the county judge's or engineer's office), for counties in the National Flood Insurance Program.
When it applies: Any development in a mapped special flood hazard area (zones A, AE, AO, V) in a participating community (44 CFR 60.3). The report's Permits page says whether the county participates and gives its community number.
What the application asks for, and where to find it
| The application asks for | Where you find it | How |
|---|---|---|
| FEMA flood zone and panel at the site | This site: the land report | The land report, "Flood zone (FEMA effective map)" row, with the panel link; confirm on the FEMA Map Service Center. |
| Community number (CID) | This site: the land report | On the report's Permits page from the NFIP Community Status Book. |
| Base flood elevation and lowest-floor or equipment elevation | Your engineer | From an elevation certificate (surveyor) or the hydrology study; the report's Studies page marks it "Triggered" when the spot is in a zone. |
| Parcel ID and legal description | Appraisal district (tax assessor) | Appraisal district record; the report's Lease page shows the property ID and the abstract/survey line. |
| Site plan showing structures in the floodplain, fill, and drainage | Your engineer | Civil site plan with the floodplain line drawn from the FEMA panel. |
| Owner authorization | The landowner | The owner signs or authorizes; counties ask for it when the applicant is a lessee. |
| Applicant details | You (the applicant) | Your entity and contact. |
What the "where you find it" column means
- This site: the land report
- Run the spot on the land report; the value is on the page named, with its agency source.
- Appraisal district (tax assessor)
- The county appraisal district record: property ID, legal description, acreage, owner of record, agricultural valuation. The report's Lease page links it; the Permits page lists the district's phone.
- The landowner
- Only the owner can supply it: signed authorization, deed reference, existing leases, access, their contact details.
- Your engineer
- From your civil or electrical engineer: site plan, disturbed acreage, drainage, the electrical one-line, nameplate and inverter data, structure heights.
- Surveyor or title company
- Boundary survey, legal description for recording, easements of record, title commitment.
- The agency's website
- The agency publishes it: forms, fee schedules, community numbers, district offices, portal accounts.
- You (the applicant)
- Your entity details: legal name, address, signatory, contacts, FEIN, insurance.
How to file it
- Confirm the zone and panel on the FEMA Map Service Center and read the county's floodplain order (the county judge's office has it).
- Ask the floodplain administrator for the county's application form; most counties use a one-page form plus the site plan and elevation data.
- File with the elevation certificate or study; the administrator issues the permit before construction in the zone.
- Keep the permit with the project file; lenders and insurers ask for it.
Fees and clocks
Set by each county's floodplain order; there is no state schedule. Ask the administrator when you request the form.
The pages you will use
Official pages cited
How-to guidance from the agency pages linked above, not legal advice; forms, fees and offices change, so confirm with the office before filing. The land report fills in the site facts; the rest comes from the sources named in each row.
Related questions
General information from the sources linked above, not legal, tax, or financial advice.
Sources and helpful links
- FEMA Map Service Center msc.fema.gov
- NFIP Community Status Book fema.gov
- 44 CFR 60.3 ecfr.gov
More official contacts and resources: Helpful links.