Flood Zone Information

Baldwin County Floodplain Administrator

Flood Maps

Floodplain Development Ordinance

Requirements for Development in A, AE, AH, AO, A-1 through A-30 Zones

Requirements for Development within the Coastal High Hazard:

A, AE, AH, AO, A-1 through A-30 Zones (excludes Coastal A-Zone and V-Zone)

All construction must comply with the International Code Series adopted by the Baldwin County Commission
All construction must comply with the Baldwin County Floodplain Development Ordinance adopted by the Baldwin County Commission
No habitable area is allowed below Base Flood Elevation + 1 foot freeboard.
A Temporary Benchmark or Elevation Certificate is required before the permit is issued.
An "Under Construction" Elevation Certificate may be required if deemed necessary by the Building Official.
A “Finished Construction” Elevation Certificate must be submitted to the Building Dept. at least 24 hours prior to scheduling a final inspection.
Elevation Certificates must be signed and stamped by an Alabama registered design professional.
All residential new construction requires engineered construction plans to be signed and stamped by an Alabama licensed architect OR engineer.
Exceptions: Detailed non-engineered construction plans may be accepted for small additions, alterations/repairs, accessory structures, storage buildings, pole barns, porches, decks, etc.
All non-residential/commercial construction requires construction plans to be signed and stamped by both an Alabama licensed architect AND engineer.
Lowest floor of structure must be elevated above Base Flood Elevation (BFE) + 1 foot freeboard.
All enclosed areas below BFE + 1 foot freeboard shall only be used for parking of vehicles, building access, and limited storage area for maintenance items used in conjunction with the property, and must be built using approved flood resistant materials.
Flood-proof walls certified by a design professional are allowed for non-residential structures.
All construction material used below BFE + 1 foot freeboard must be approved flood resistant materials to prevent rot or decay.#
Electrical meters are allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard. Only one electrical circuit with GFI protection is allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
All HVAC/mechanical systems, equipment, or components must be installed above BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
No plumbing fixtures or appliances (e.g. bathrooms, washers, dryers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, etc.) are allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
All enclosed areas below BFE + 1 foot freeboard shall have hydrostatic vents installed, minimum two (2) separate walls, minimum two (2) hydrostatic openings, one square inch of vent area per one square foot of storage is required. Engineered or non-engineered flood vents that meet the above requirements will be accepted.
A No-Rise Certificate is required for ALL new construction inside a designated Floodway.

Additional Resources:

Click to view a printable PDF version of the information above:
Requirements for Development in Special Flood Hazard Area: A, AE, AH, AO, A-1 through A-30 Zones

*Click to view the Requirements for Flood Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures, NFIP Technical Bulletin 1 (March 2020).

#Click to view the Flood Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements, Technical Bulletin 2 (August 2008).

Link to all NFIP Technical Bulletins

Requirements for Development in Coastal A Zones and V Zones

Requirements for Development within the Coastal High Hazard:
Coastal A Zones and V Zones

All construction must comply with the International Code Series adopted by the Baldwin County Commission
All construction must comply with the Baldwin County Floodplain Development Ordinance adopted by the Baldwin County Commission
No habitable area is allowed below Base Flood Elevation + 1 foot freeboard.
A Temporary Benchmark or Elevation Certificate is required before the permit is issued.
A Coastal A-Zone or V-Zone Design Certificate Form is required before the permit is issued. You may download the form here: Coastal-A-Zone or V-Zone Design Certificate Form
An "Under Construction" Elevation Certificate may be required if deemed necessary by the Building Official.
A “Finished Construction” Elevation Certificate must be submitted to the Building Dept. at least 24 hours prior to scheduling a final inspection.
Elevation Certificates must be signed and stamped by an Alabama registered design professional.
All residential new construction requires engineered construction plans to be signed and stamped by an Alabama licensed architect OR engineer.
Exceptions: Detailed non-engineered construction plans may be accepted for small additions, alterations/repairs, accessory structures, storage buildings, pole barns, porches, decks, etc.
All non-residential/commercial construction requires construction plans to be signed and stamped by both an Alabama licensed architect AND engineer.
Engineered plans (signed and stamped) are required on all breakaway walls for enclosed rooms below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) and for structural components attached to main structures below BFE.*
There shall be no man-made alterations or sand dunes in any V-Zone.
Swimming pools must be installed completely above BFE + 1 foot freeboard, level with adjacent grade, or engineer approved.
All construction material used below BFE + 1 foot freeboard must be approved flood resistant materials to prevent rot or decay.#
All propane gas tanks are to be installed completely above BFE + 1 foot freeboard, adequately anchored below ground to resist flotation or movement during flood events.
All enclosed areas below BFE + 1 foot freeboard shall only be used for parking of vehicles, building access, and limited storage area for maintenance items used in conjunction with the property, and must be built using approved flood resistant materials.
Bottom of lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated above BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
Electrical meters are allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard. Only one electrical circuit with GFI protection is allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
All HVAC/mechanical systems, equipment, or components must be installed above BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
No plumbing fixtures or appliances (e.g. bathrooms, washers, dryers, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, etc.) are allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard.
Solid walls are not allowed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard unless otherwise approved by the Floodplain Administrator.
All foundations must be pile or column supported unless otherwise approved by the Floodplain Administrator.
Fill material is prohibited to be used for structural support of buildings. No more than 2 feet of fill material (soil or sand) may be used for landscaping and leveling purposes.
All enclosed areas below BFE + 1 foot freeboard shall have hydrostatic vents installed, minimum two (2) separate walls, minimum two (2) hydrostatic openings, one square inch of vent area per one square foot of storage is required. Engineered or non-engineered flood vents that meet the above requirements will be accepted.

Storage & Accessory Structure Requirements

Enclosed storage space below BFE + 1 foot freeboard underneath a structure must meet all flood requirements (i.e. break-away walls, flood vents, and flood resistant materials). A Building Permit and a Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area (i.e. a Flood Permit) is required.
Enclosed accessory structures installed below BFE + 1 foot freeboard are limited to a maximum of 100 SF, must be anchored, must be constructed using flood resistant materials, inside must be left unfinished, and must have flood vents. Small accessory structures include small storage structures such as metal, plastic, or wood sheds that are disposable. FEMA considers “small” to mean less than or equal to 100 square feet. A Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area (i.e. a Flood Permit) is required.
Enclosed accessory structures larger than 100 SF must be installed above BFE + 1 foot freeboard. A Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area (i.e. a Flood Permit) is required. Enclosed accessory structures larger than 120 SF for commercial or 200 SF for residential will also require an Accessory Structure Permit.
Enclosed detached garages below BFE + 1 foot freeboard are not allowed in Coastal A & V Zones.
Storage space and accessory structures below BFE + 1 foot freeboard that are open/not enclosed (ex. gazebos, pole barns, louvered enclosures, etc.) are not required to meet the maximum square footage requirements listed above. However, permits are still required. For all requirements, refer to the Baldwin County Floodplain Development Ordinance and the FEMA Technical Bulletin 5: Free of Obstruction Requirements.

Additional Resources:

Click to view a printable PDF version of the information above:
Requirements for Development in Special Flood Hazard Area: Coastal A Zones and V Zones

Click to view the Free-of-Obstruction Requirements, NFIP Technical Bulletin 5 (March 2020).

*Click to view the Design and Construction Guidance for Breakaway Walls (August 2008).

#Click to view the Flood Damage-Resistant Materials Requirements, Technical Bulletin 2 (August 2008).

Link to All NFIP Technical Bulletins

Elevation Certificates (ECs)

The Elevation Certificate is an important administrative tool of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is to be used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances - "Baldwin County Floodplain Development Ordinance".

As part of the agreement for making flood insurance available in a community, the NFIP requires the community to adopt floodplain management regulations that specify minimum requirements for reducing flood losses. One such requirement is for the community to obtain the elevation of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new and substantially improved buildings, and maintain a record of such information. The Elevation Certificate provides a way for a community to document compliance with the community's floodplain management ordinance.

An Elevation Certificate must be prepared, signed, and sealed by a land surveyor or engineer authorized by law to certify elevation information and who is licensed in the State of Alabama.

The Baldwin County Building Department keeps all Elevation Certificates provided to the department during the permitting and inspection process. Please note that there will not be an Elevation Certificate on file for these situations:

Property is vacant, no structures have ever been added
Structures on property were not within a flood zone at the time they were built
No permits have been issued for structures on the property

CLICK HERE to Search for Elevation Certificates

If you are unable to locate a certificate for a specific address, it may be possible that a certificate is on file but has not yet been scanned and added to the database. You may send an email to BuildingDepartment@BaldwinCountyAL.gov with the address for further review. If we are able to locate an Elevation Certificate on file, we will email you a copy.

Baldwin County Construction Certificate Management Procedures

Additional Resources:

Flood Hazard Management Plan (FHMP)

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Resources

Additional Resources