WallDockDeck
Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

What flood zone is Palm Beach in, and what does it require?

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

The Town of Palm Beach counts improvements over one year: work in a one-year period reaching 50% of market value is a substantial improvement, with the clock running from the first permit issued after 9 October 2021. No extra freeboard number appears in Chapter 50.

Source: Town of Palm Beach Code of Ordinances Ch. 50 Floods, Secs. 50-137.5, 50-141; 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 improvementOne-year period, cumulative cost of 50% or more; the period begins on the date of the first permit issued after October 9, 2021 - Sec. 50-137.5, applied to FBC by Sec. 50-141 (Ord. No. 030-2024).
Substantial damage50 percent of market value - Sec. 50-137.5.
Accessory structuresNon-elevated accessory structures use flood damage-resistant materials below BFE + 1 ft and keep mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems at or above BFE + 1 ft - Sec. 50-140 (Ord. No. 010-2022).
Subdivisions in AH and AO zonesDrainage paths must guide floodwaters around and away from proposed structures - Sec. 50-145 (Ord. No. 16-2017).
FEMA flood mapFEMA's Community Status Book (report dated 3 Oct 2026) lists Palm Beach as NFIP community 120220 with a current effective FIRM dated 20 Dec 2024. Zones are set parcel by parcel, so no single zone covers the whole city - check your own address.
NFIP historyFEMA record: first flood hazard boundary map 13 Sep 1974; first FIRM 15 May 1978; regular NFIP program since 15 May 1978; entered CRS 1 Oct 1992.
Flood insurance discountCRS class 6 - 20% off NFIP premiums for policies in the Special Flood Hazard Area (class in effect 1 Oct 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.

Available for the cities whose rule we have verified and sourced.

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Palm Beach County, and where each city departs from it.

Palm Beach CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

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

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

What to look for, where to look for it, and what it means when you find it. Walk your wall in twenty minutes.

A screening sheet for owners, not an engineering inspection.

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