Unincorporated Brazoria Adds Two Feet in Several Inland Flood Zones

This county rule covers land outside city limits. It is not one rule for every address in Brazoria County.

In mapped A1-30, AE, and AH zones, a new or much-improved home usually needs its lowest floor two feet above the base flood height. A basement counts as the lowest floor.

Other zones use other tests. AO rules use the mapped flood depth above nearby high ground. If the map gives no depth, the rule uses at least two feet. In V and VE coastal zones, the key point is the bottom of the lowest main frame member. Some business buildings may use a dry floodproofing plan signed by an engineer.

Ask the county Floodplain Department which map and rule apply before you design or set a budget. A home inside a city follows that city's rules. Building higher may help the insurance rate, but it does not promise a lower bill. The elevation form and other details still count.