Building in a Floodplain?

Are you, your structure or your property that is adjacent to a river, creek, lake, stream, or other open waterway that is subject to flooding when there is a significant rain or seasonal run-off? If you are, you can always have your property verified for FREE before you buy or before any constriction starts.
Request an Interpolation from the County here.

A floodplain permit (at a minimum) is required before construction or development begins within any Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA); So ANY of the A Zones (A, AE, AO, etc…) or more commonly the 100-Year Floodplain. This means that there is a 1-in-100 chance in any given year that your property will flood. If it is in the 25-year floodplain, there is a 1-in-25 chance in any given year that your property will flood. The statistical chance of flooding is not changed by any one flooding event; but repeated flooding may result in the floodplain being recalculated. A 100-year floodplain is always wider than a 25-year floodplain, and the 25-year floodplain is contained within the 100-year floodplain.

Building Q&A

Can I build on a lot in the 100-year floodplain? The 25-year floodplain?

If you wish to build a home or place a manufactured home in the 100-year floodplain, you must file a permit application with a site plan. All construction that is allowed in floodplain areas must have the lowest floor elevation two feet (2’) above the 100-year floodplain elevation. Building construction is prohibited for projects that will not comply with all standards for construction in the 100-year floodplain per the Lincoln County Floodplain Regulations.

Are there special requirements in the floodplain?

If I build an addition or deck outside my building, do I need to raise my existing building one foot above the 100-year floodplain?

Any addition must comply with all floodplain standards. If the value of the addition and remodeling of the home or business exceeds 50% of the value of the existing home or business, the existing structure(s) must be elevated two feet above the 100-year floodplain or flood-proofed according to the County's floodplain standards.

What is the penalty if I don't secure all my approvals?

Why can’t I have a walkout/Daylight basement?

In the floodplain, basements are defined as any enclosed area having its floor below ground level on all sides. Walk-out or Daylight basements typically have at least one side at ground level and therefore are not considered basements.

Structures with walk-out/Daylight basements must have the lowest floor elevated to at least two (2) feet above the base flood elevation in order to be compliant with state and federal floodplain regulations.