Lexington County Community Development Department, Floodplain Management

Floodplain Permit for Development in the Special Flood Hazard Area (unincorporated Lexington County)

Ordinance 18-05, "An Ordinance Amending the Lexington County, Chapter 31, Flood Damage Prevention Code", applies to the areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of Lexington County Unincorporated Areas identified by FEMA in its Flood Insurance Study dated July 5, 2018, and states: "A floodplain permit is required for all developments located in the Special Flood Hazard Area. The Floodplain Manager may require a building permit applicant to obtain a floodplain permit." For development outside the parameters of a building permit, §1-6 requires a floodplain permit reviewed and approved by the Lexington County Floodplain Manager. The ordinance states that it "shall become effective upon adoption" and was enacted in 2018. County Code §14-270 adds that anyone intending to build a structure that needs a building permit in a flood hazard area must first provide the floodplain manager's documented approval, and that no final inspection or certificate of occupancy follows until the floodplain manager has concluded that the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance has been met. The county's Floodplain Management page notes that the county has participated in the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979 and that Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Elevation Certificates may be viewed at the County Administration Building. No floodplain permit fee is published on either 2026-27 county fee schedule.