Freeboard

Freeboard is an additional amount of height above the Base Flood Elevation used as a factor of safety in determining the level at which a structure’s lowest floor must be elevated or floodproofed to be in accordance with state or community floodplain management regulations. The City of Tarpon Springs currently follows the Florida Building Code (FBC) requirement of 1 ft of freeboard for new construction. In addition to FBC requirements, the City of Tarpon Springs has adopted higher standards as regulated in Ordinance No. 2022-24, amending the Land Development Code, Article IX, and Section 149.01 Coastal High Hazard Area Design Standards. This addition states, “All new construction of multi-family residential dwelling units and single-family attached residential dwelling units in the CHHA shall require the higher of the three feet above the minimum Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) base flood elevation (BFE) or the FEMA 500-year flood elevation.” Examples of Freeboard Requirements AE-11, Single Family, Detached: The lowest living floor must be elevated to 12 feet or higher; dry/wet floodproofing is not permitted. AE-11, Multifamily or Attached Single-Family: The lowest living floor must be elevated to 14 feet or higher. AE-11, Commercial: The lowest floor must be elevated or dry/wet floodproofed to 12 feet or higher. Coastal AE-12, Single Family, Detached: The lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated to 13 feet or higher; dry/wet floodproofing is not permitted. Coastal AE-12, Multifamily or Attached Single-Family: The lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated to 15 feet or higher. Coastal AE-12, Commercial: The lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated to 13 feet or higher; dry/wet floodproofing is not permitted. VE-14, Single Family, Detached: The lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated to 15 feet or higher. VE-14, Multifamily or Attached Single-family: The lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated to 17 feet or higher. VE-14, Commercial: The lowest horizontal structural member must be elevated to 15 feet or higher; dry/wet floodproofing is not permitted.