PERMITTING in a floodplain is a relatively painless experience if you are prepared with a properly filled out building application, an accurately scaled site plan showing your building location and any washes on your property, and a grading and drainage plan if you are planning to excavate or fill any large quantities of ground around the home. A Floodplain Use Permit is also required to document building in a floodplain and contains any specific requirements for floodplain construction. Once you have received a floodplain determination two items must be identified at the onset of the permit submittal. First, in which floodplain is your home or structure located and secondly, are you building a conventional building or a manufactured home? State of Arizona adds one foot to the BFE to determine an RFE (Regulatory Flood Elevation). This elevation information is written on an elevation certificate based on construction drawings. If the home is located in an AO or AE zone, the BFE is noted on the FIRM and this number may be used as the requirement for the elevation of either the lowest floor if the building is a conventional structure, or the bottom of the frame of a manufactured home. This information is stamped on the site plan, any construction plans submitted, and passed through the system just as a normal permit would be. Prior to the final inspection of the home, a “finished construction” elevation certificate will be required and completed by a registered land surveyor or engineer verifying that the home was indeed elevated in accordance with the floodplain elevation requirements.

To apply for a Floodplain Use Permit, please contact Flood Control at (520)-866-6411