General Flood Information

Pinellas County by virtue of being a peninsula has many high hazard flood areas. This condition requires new buildings or substantial improvements* to existing buildings in these areas to comply with the base flood elevation as established by FEMA . There are two flood zones, zone V and zone A.

Pinellas County is an active participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). For more information on this program please go to the following site, NFIP

Zone A
Flood zone A are areas that will be affected by rising water. These areas are those that are low lying and along the coast line of both the Gulf and the Bay. All new and substantial improvements* to structures in this area will require that the lowest living floor be elevated to the required base flood elevation. Also required is that enclosed ares below the base flood elevation must be impervious to water damage, have openings in the walls to allow the flow of the flood waters and shall only be used for parking of automobiles and storage of non-insureable items.

Zone V
Flood zone V is consider a high hazard flood area based on the fact that it is an area that will not only be affected by rising flood waters, but also wave action. All new and substantial improvements* must be designed by a Florida registered engineer or architect. The structure must be constructed on pilings or a matt foundation. Enclosed areas are not allowed unless the walls are constructed to breakaway under pressure from rising water and wave action. This zone also requires that the bottom of the lowest structural member be elevated to the required base flood elevation.
All new construction and substantial improvement* located west of Gulf Blvd. or 300' east of the CCCL must comply with Chapter 31 sec. 3101 of the Florida Building Code as amended. This requires all structures to be construction to the V zone standards.

Any structure that is to be remodeled must comply with the substantial improvement* requirements and a Substantial Improvement Form filled out and submitted with the permit application.

*Substantial Improvement is the repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure either, (1) before the improvement or repair is started, or (2) if the structure is damaged and is being restored, before the damage occured. The value of the existing structure can be determined by one of two means. The first is by certified appraisal. This will be based on the depreciated value assigned in the appraisal. The second means, is that value established by the property appraiser. This value can be increased by 20%.

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Last Updated October 9, 2003