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Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Section 1612A — FLOOD LOADS

2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

1612 A .1 General. Within flood hazard areas as established in Section 1612 A .3, all new construction of buildings, structures and portions of buildings and structures, including substantial improvement and restoration of substantial damage to buildings and structures, shall be designed and constructed to resist the effects of flood hazards and flood loads. For buildings that are located in more than one flood hazard area, the provisions associated with the most restrictive flood hazard area shall apply.

1612 A .2 Design and construction. The design and construction of buildings and structures located in flood hazard areas, including coastal high hazard areas and coastal A zones, shall be in accordance with Chapter 5 of ASCE 7 and ASCE 24. Elevators, escalators, conveying systems and their components shall conform to ASCE 24 and ASME A17.1/CSA B44 as applicable.

Exception: Temporary structures complying with Section 3103.6.1.3.

1612 A .3 Establishment of flood hazard areas. To establish flood hazard areas, the applicable governing authority shall adopt a flood hazard map and supporting data. The flood hazard map shall include, at a minimum, areas of special flood hazard as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Flood Insurance Study (FIS) adopted by the local authority having jurisdiction where the project is located, as amended or revised with the accompanying Flood Insurance Rate Map ( FIRM ) and Flood Boundary and Flood- way Map (FBFM) and related supporting data along with any revisions thereto. The adopted flood hazard map and supporting data are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be part of this section.

1612 A .3.1 Design flood elevations. Where design flood elevations are not included in the flood hazard areas established in Section 1612 A .3, or where floodways are not designated, the building official is authorized to require the applicant to do one of the following:

  1. Obtain and reasonably utilize any design flood elevation and floodway data available from a federal, state or other

source.

  1. Determine the design flood elevation or floodway in accordance with accepted hydrologic and hydraulic engineering practices used to define special flood hazard areas. Determinations shall be undertaken by a registered design professional who shall document that the technical methods used reflect currently accepted engineering practice.

1612 A .3.2 Determination of impacts. In riverine flood hazard areas where design flood elevations are specified but floodways have not been designated, the applicant shall provide a floodway analysis that demonstrates that the proposed work will not increase the design flood elevation more than 1 foot (305 mm) at any point within the jurisdiction of the applicable governing authority.

1612** A .3.2 Determination of impacts. In riverine flood hazard areas where design flood elevations are specified but floodways have not been designated, the applicant shall provide a floodway analysis that demonstrates that the proposed work will not increase the design flood elevation more than 1 foot (305 mm) at any point within the jurisdiction of the applicable governing authority.

1612 A .4 Flood hazard documentation. The following documentation shall be prepared and sealed by a registered design professional and submitted to the building official:

  1. For construction in flood hazard areas other than coastal high hazard areas or coastal A zones: 1.1. The elevation of the lowest floor, including the basement, as required by the lowest floor elevation inspection in Section 110.3.3 and for the final inspection in Section 110.3.12.1. 1.2. For fully enclosed areas below the design flood elevation where provisions to allow for the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters do not meet the minimum requirements in Section 2.7.2.1 of ASCE 24, construction documents shall include a statement that the design will provide for equalization of hydrostatic flood forces in accordance with Section 2.7.2.2 of ASCE 24.

1.3. For dry floodproofed nonresidential buildings, construction documents shall include a statement that the dry floodproofing is designed in accordance with ASCE 24 and shall include the flood emergency plan specified in Chapter 6 of ASCE 24. 1.4. For dry floodproofed nonresidential buildings, the elevation to which the building is dry floodproofed as required for the final inspection in Section 110.3.12.1.

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

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STRUCTURAL DESIGN

  1. For construction in coastal high hazard areas and coastal A zones: 2.1. The elevation of the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member as required by the lowest floor elevation inspection in Section 110.3.3 and for the final inspection in Section 110.3.12.1. 2.2. Construction documents shall include a statement that the building is designed in accordance with ASCE 24, including that the pile or column foundation and building or structure to be attached thereto is designed to be anchored to resist flotation, collapse and lateral movement due to the effects of wind and flood loads acting simultaneously on all building components, and other load requirements of Chapter 16. 2.3. For breakaway walls designed to have a resistance of more than 20 psf (0.96 kN/m [2] ) determined using allowable stress design or a resistance to an ultimate load of more than 33 pounds per square foot (1.58 kN/m [2] ), construction documents shall include a statement that the breakaway wall is designed in accordance with ASCE 24. 2.4 For breakaway walls where provisions to allow for the automatic entry and exit of floodwaters do not meet the minimum requirements in Section 2.7.2.1 of ASCE 24, construction documents shall include a statement that the design will provide for equalization of hydrostatic flood forces in accordance with Section 2.7.2.2 of ASCE 24.

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▸ Contents — 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  4. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  5. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  6. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  7. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  8. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR W…
  9. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  10. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  11. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  12. Chapter 11 — RESERVED
  13. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  14. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  15. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  16. Chapter 13 — ENERGY EFFICIENCY
  17. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  18. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  19. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  20. ▸ Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
    Overview
    1. Section 1601A — GENERAL
    2. Section 1602A — NOTATIONS
    3. Section 1603A — CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
    4. Section 1604A — GENERAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
    5. Section 1605A — LOAD COMBINATIONS
    6. Section 1606A — DEAD LOADS
    7. Section 1607A — LIVE LOADS
    8. Section 1608A — SNOW LOADS
    9. Section 1609A — WIND LOADS
    10. Section 1610A — SOIL LOADS AND HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
    11. Section 1611A — RAIN LOADS
    12. Section 1612A — FLOOD LOADS
    13. Section 1613A — EARTHQUAKE LOADS
    14. Section 1614A — ATMOSPHERIC ICE LOADS
    15. Section 1615A — TSUNAMI LOADS
    16. Section 1616A — STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
    17. Section 1617A — MODIFICATIONS TO ASCE 7
  21. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  22. Chapter 17A — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 18A — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  25. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  26. Chapter 19A — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 21A — MASONRY
  30. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  31. Chapter 22A — STEEL
  32. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  33. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  34. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  35. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  36. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  37. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  38. Chapter 29 — PLUMBING SYSTEMS
  39. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  40. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  41. Chapter 31A — SYSTEMS FOR WINDOW CLEANING OR EXTERIOR BUILDING…
  42. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  43. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  44. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  45. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  46. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  47. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  48. Chapter 34 — RESERVED
  49. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  50. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  51. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  52. Appendix C — GROUP U—AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  54. Appendix E — RESERVED
  55. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  56. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
  57. Appendix H — SIGNS
  58. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  59. Appendix J — GRADING
  60. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES PROTECTED B…
  61. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION
  62. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED FLOOD HAZARDS
  63. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  64. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED APPLICATION
  65. Appendix P — SLEEPING LOFTS
  66. Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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