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Surfside · Miami-Dade County

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

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

Surfside's Chapter 42 counts improvements over five years: any combination of work in a five-year period reaching 50% of market value is a substantial improvement, with the clock running from the first improvement permitted after 9 September 2009. No extra freeboard number appears, so the Florida Building Code floor applies. That long tally means a kitchen remodel followed a few seasons later by a roof-and-window package can be judged together.

Source: Surfside Code of Ordinances Ch. 42 Floods, Secs. 42-9, 42-11; 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 cumulative period at 50%; accumulation begins with the first improvement permitted after September 9, 2009 - Secs. 42-9, 42-11.
Substantial damage50 percent of market value - Sec. 42-9.
Where the rules sitChapter 42 Floods of the Surfside Code of Ordinances, Part II.
How the five-year clock runsAccumulation starts when the first improvement or repair of each building or structure is permitted after September 9, 2009; once a structure has sustained substantial damage, any repair counts as substantial improvement - Sec. 42-11.
FEMA flood mapFEMA's Community Status Book (report dated 3 Oct 2026) lists Surfside as NFIP community 120659 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 May 2016.
Flood insurance discountCRS class 6 - 20% off NFIP premiums for policies in the Special Flood Hazard Area (class in effect 1 Apr 2022).
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

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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-DadeCoral GablesMiami-DadeKey BiscayneMiami-DadeMiami

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

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