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Ocala council adopts ordinance banning enclosures under elevated buildings to help flood-insurance rating
Summary
The City of Ocala adopted an ordinance Aug. 19 that prohibits enclosures under elevated buildings in flood hazard areas; city staff said the change will add points toward the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System and could lower premiums for some residents.
The Ocala City Council on Aug. 19 adopted Ordinance 2025-534, amending city floodplain regulations to prohibit enclosures beneath elevated buildings in flood hazard areas.
City Engineer Sean Lanier told the council the change aims to improve the city’s Community Rating System (CRS) score, which reduces citizens’ federal flood insurance premiums through the National Flood Insurance Program. “If adopted, it will give the community about 160 points towards our CRS score,” Lanier said, adding the city needs roughly 430 points to advance from its current CRS class 3 to class 2 and achieve an additional estimated 5 percentage-point discount on flood insurance.
Lanier said staff surveyed building permits from the last 10 years and found residential construction in flood hazard areas has been slab-on-grade or stem-wall construction; the type of elevated houses that are frequently enclosed under elevated dwellings — common in coastal VE zones — are not prevalent in Ocala. The ordinance therefore is not expected to prohibit a significant number of current or in-progress projects, staff said. The prohibition targets enclosures on elevated buildings 4 feet or higher.
Several council members asked whether the change would affect post-and-beam or crawl-space construction and whether engineered “breakaway” enclosures would be allowed. Lanier said the rule targets enclosures generally and that most local elevated construction is uncommon; he acknowledged the council could amend the code later if a specific engineered design required review. The city attorney and staff noted repealing the code change would require the same two-public-hearing process used to adopt it.
Councilmembers also discussed how the CRS credits are verified and whether residents actually receive the insurance discounts; staff said many CRS points accrue from mapping, community outreach and maintenance programs and that the city will continue outreach (for example, FEMA brochures and “turn around, don’t drown” messaging) as part of CRS work.
After discussion the council adopted the ordinance by roll call. The ordinance amendment will be codified and staff will proceed with the actions required to submit supporting documentation for the CRS re-verification process.
