Floodplain Management Regulations

To determine the flood zone for any property in Dunedin, click here.

The City's Floodplain Management Ordinance is found in Sec. 105-42 of the Land Development Code.

The  City’s  floodplain  management  ordinance  requires  that  new  construction  or  substantially  improved  or  substantially damaged existing buildings must comply with the following:

• Residential structures in A or AE Zones must have their lowest floor elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) plus 1 foot or to the Design Flood Elevation (DFE), whichever is higher.
• Non-residential structures in A or AE Zones must have their lowest floor elevated to or above the BFE plus 1 foot or to the DFE, or they can be dry-floodproofed to or above the BFE plus 1 foot or the DFE, whichever is higher.
• In Coastal A Zones, because of the presence of damaging waves, V Zone design, construction, and certification practices are recommended.
• In VE Zones, the building must be elevated on piles and columns and the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member supporting the lowest floor must be elevated to or above the BFE plus 1 foot or to the DFE, whichever is higher.
• In X Zones, no BFE’s are shown.  However, the lowest floor must be at least 1.5’ (18 inches) above the centerline of the abutting roadway unless otherwise approved by the City.

If you plan to improve or repair an existing structure that is located within an A or V Flood Zone please review the Substantial Improvement or Damage Review Package(PDF, 555KB) which explains the FEMA 50% Rule. It also contains helpful information about the review process and the necessary application, affidavits and cost estimate form that must be submitted along with your building permit application.