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County raises minimum finished-floor elevation for new buildings in flood zones
Summary
Okeechobee County commissioners adopted amendments to land-development rules requiring new construction in mapped flood zones to place finished floors 2 feet above base flood elevation; the change implements updated federal NFIP guidance and drew questions about grandfathering and local impacts.
Okeechobee County commissioners on Thursday adopted an amendment to the county’s land-development regulations that raises the recommended minimum finished-floor elevation for new construction in mapped flood zones to 2 feet above the base flood elevation. The change aligns the county with recent National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) guidance and was approved unanimously by the board.
County planner Royce told commissioners that because the county participates in the NFIP and the Community Rating System, “we have to have certain regulations in place that they approve of and basically write for us.” He described two key changes in the draft: removing an exemption that previously excluded new mobile homes and mobile-home parks from parts of the ordinance, and increasing the minimum finished-floor elevation for new construction to 2 feet above the base flood elevation so owners can continue to qualify for federally backed mortgages.
The ordinance amendment is intended to preserve homeowners’ ability to sell to buyers who finance with FHA, USDA or VA mortgages, officials said. Royce explained that in much of the county FEMA maps leave an unnumbered A zone; in those areas the base flood elevation defaults to “2 feet above the highest adjacent grade” when a detailed study is not available. He warned that requiring finished floors at 2 feet above the base flood elevation in unnumbered A zones could, in practice, result in minimum finished floors of roughly 4 feet above existing grade in some locations.
Commissioners and staff discussed how the change will affect existing homes and infill development. Commissioner Goodbread asked whether houses already built to 18 inches above the crown of the road would be grandfathered; Royce replied that new requirements apply to development started after the effective date and “they should be” grandfathered but acknowledged there are situations where grandfathering and retrofit enforcement are unclear. Commissioners noted concerns about how raising finished floors in small infill lots can create drainage or access issues for neighboring properties — for example where older houses sit lower than newly elevated adjacent homes — and asked staff to monitor case-by-case problems.
The planning and legal staff said the change follows model language from the NFIP and addresses recent federal updates removing prior exemptions for mobile homes. The board voted 5-0 to adopt ordinance 2025-007 as presented. Royce said the new standard will take effect as written and staff will continue to work on implementation and education for homeowners, developers and lenders.
The ordinance was considered during a public hearing; no members of the public spoke. The board also adopted, separately, a related update to the county’s land-development fee schedule (Resolution 2025-31) to reflect administrative and review costs tied to processes such as community development district petitions and traffic studies.
