Naples staff urge caution on home flood panels; building department to clarify permitting path

City building and fire officials urged residents on Feb. 5 to be cautious about installing retail flood panels and other temporary barriers after staff documented multiple, unpermitted installations and growing public demand.

Building Services Director Steve Beckman said the city had received requests and observed hundreds of temporary devices posted around the city following recent storms. Beckman said some products and installations can create life-safety and structural hazards, and that the city must balance resident requests with compliance under the Florida Building Code, FEMA regulations and flood-insurance program requirements. "It may not protect them, and it may cause them more harm than good," Beckman told council, urging an engineering-based review for any barrier that will be relied on to prevent floodwater entry.

Beckman said the city has begun accepting permit applications for select dry-floodproofing solutions where an engineer certifies the method and where code and flood rules allow, but he warned turnaround times depend on the complexity of structural and life-safety reviews. The city also reported working with state regulators to clarify acceptable installations and to avoid enforcement actions that might jeopardize the municipality's standing in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Council asked staff to accelerate public information: Beckman and the city manager said they would publish clearer, plain-language guidance explaining what products the city can permit, the documentation needed (licensed engineer or design professional sign-off), and realistic timelines for review and installation before the storm season.

Ending: Staff will issue updated permitting guidance and refine communication to help residents distinguish between retail barriers and engineered solutions that meet code and life-safety standards.