Substantial Improvement
Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvement to a building, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the building before the start of the improvement.
Substantial Damage means damage to a building by any origin (not just flood), whereby the cost of restoring the building to its before-damage condition would equal or exceed 50% of the value of the building before the damage occurred.
Buildings that are substantially improved or repaired due to substantial damage must meet the requirements of new construction specified in our Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance. This would include elevation to or above the base flood elevation plus one foot.
