Floodplain Requirements / Maintenance

Floodplain Development Permit Requirements

Always check with Jefferson County before building, grading, fencing or otherwise altering your property. Any work with our Floodplain Overlay District requires a Floodplain Permit from Jefferson County. Contact Planning and Zoning with any questions including reporting of an illegal floodplain development.

Substantial Improvement/Damage Requirements

"Substantial improvement" means any rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a building when the cost of the improvement equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the building before start of construction of the improvement. Substantial improvements shall be counted cumulatively for a period of 5 years from the Start of Construction date of the first approved building permit. The term includes buildings that have incurred "substantial damage." "Substantial damage" means damage of any origin sustained by a building when the cost of restoring the building to its pre-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the building before the damage occurred. Substantial damage is determined regardless of the actual repair work performed.

Substantial improvement or damage does not, however, include any project for improvement of a building to correct existing violations of State or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications identified by local code enforcement officials as the minimum specifications necessary to assure safe living conditions. Also excluded from the substantial improvement requirement are alterations to historic buildings as defined by the NFIP.

Drainage System Maintenance

Jefferson County prohibits impeding or interfering with the flow of storm water in the natural drainage ways, unimproved channels or watercourses, or improved ditches, channels or canals in such a manner as to cause flooding where it would not otherwise occur. This includes debris, branches, or other material that may interfere with the flow of water.

Contact Planning and Zoning with any questions regarding maintenance or including reporting of a violation.