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Coral Gables · Miami-Dade County

What flood zone is Coral Gables in, and what does it require?

BFE +1 ft (state code)no extra city freeboard found

Coral Gables puts its flood rules in Chapter 113 of the land development regulations and counts improvements over five years: work that adds up to 50% of market value within five years of the first permit is a substantial improvement. No extra freeboard number appears, so the Florida Building Code floor applies.

Source: Coral Gables Code Subpart B LDR Ch. 113 Flood Damage Prevention, Secs. 113-9, 113-10; FEMA Community Status Book, Florida (www.fema.gov/cis/FL.html, report 10/03/2026); 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential R322.2.1, R322.3.2; 44 CFR 59.1; FEMA Flood Map Service Center · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Substantial improvementFive-year period, cumulative cost of 50% or more; accumulation begins when the first improvement is permitted - Secs. 113-9, 113-10.
Substantial damage50 percent of market value - Sec. 113-9.
Where the rules sitCoral Gables places floodplain rules in Subpart B, the Land Development Regulations, as Chapter 113 Flood Damage Prevention - alongside Chapter 105 Buildings and Chapter 109 Environmental and Natural Resource Protection.
Accessory structuresFlood damage-resistant materials below BFE + 1 ft and mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems at or above BFE + 1 ft; at most one switch and one outlet below BFE, on a ground fault interrupt breaker - Sec. 113-10.
FEMA flood mapFEMA's Community Status Book (report dated 3 Oct 2026) lists Coral Gables as NFIP community 120639 with a current effective FIRM dated 11 Sep 2009. Zones are set parcel by parcel, so no single zone covers the whole city - check your own address.
NFIP historyFEMA record: first FIRM 29 Sep 1972; regular NFIP program since 29 Sep 1972; entered CRS 1 Oct 1993.
Flood insurance discountCRS class 5 - 25% off NFIP premiums for policies in the Special Flood Hazard Area (class in effect 1 May 2020).
State minimum2023 Florida Building Code, Residential R322.2.1 and R322.3.2 - lowest floor (A zones) or bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member (V and Coastal A zones) at BFE + 1 ft or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher.
Look up your zoneEnter the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov), the official public source for FIRMs; an elevation certificate shows how your floor compares with the BFE.

Your city's height sheet

The elevation your city requires, the datum it is measured in, and the section of code that says so. One page.

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Miami-Dade County, and where each city departs from it.

Miami-Dade CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

Miami-DadeMiami BeachMiami-DadeKey BiscayneMiami-DadeMiamiMiami-DadeSurfside

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

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