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West Palm Beach · Palm Beach County

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

+2 ft above BFEor 6 in above road crown / DFE, whichever higher

West Palm Beach requires buildings and homes in flood hazard areas at base flood elevation plus 2 feet, 6 inches above the nearest road crown, or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher, and 6 inches above the road crown in Zone X. It counts improvements over any five-year period.

Source: West Palm Beach Code Ch. 18 (maintained on enCodePlus), Secs. 18-33, 18-289, 18-293; 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

FreeboardBuildings and 1-2 family dwellings/townhouses in flood hazard areas: BFE plus two feet, six inches above the nearest crown of road, or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher (buildings also ASCE 24) - Sec. 18-33(b)(1)-(2).
Zone XAt or above six inches above the nearest crown of road - Sec. 18-33(b)(3).
Manufactured homesNot less than two feet above BFE - Sec. 18-293.
Substantial improvementCumulative cost in any five year period of 50% or more of market value - Sec. 18-289.
EnclosuresEnclosed areas below the required elevation of homes and townhouses in flood hazard areas may not be partitioned or finished into rooms - Sec. 18-33(c).
Amendment historyFloodplain sections amended by Ord. No. 4729-17 (14 Sep 2017), Ord. No. 4966-21 (20 Sep 2021) and Ord. No. 5116-24 (24 Nov 2024).
More trigger points$463,000 building value -> $231,500 trigger.
FEMA flood mapFEMA's Community Status Book (report dated 3 Oct 2026) lists West Palm Beach as NFIP community 120229 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 31 Oct 1975; first FIRM 1 Mar 1979; regular NFIP program since 1 Mar 1979; entered CRS 1 Oct 1992.
Flood insurance discountCRS class 5 - 25% off NFIP premiums for policies in the Special Flood Hazard Area (class in effect 1 Oct 2018).
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 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

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