Types

• Elevation: raise the lowest floor to or above the required flood elevation
• Dry floodproofing: make a non-residential building watertight; measures are passive or active depending on whether they need human action; an alternative to elevation
• Wet floodproofing: let floodwater enter with flood-damage-resistant construction; an option for non-residential buildings and a requirement for residential enclosures
• Combination: many non-residential buildings use both dry and wet measures

Standards

• NFIP Technical Bulletin 3 (2021): requirements for design and certification of dry floodproofed non-residential and mixed-use buildings; replaces the 1993 edition
• NFIP Technical Bulletin 7: wet floodproofing requirements and limitations
• FEMA P-936 (2013): floodproofing non-residential buildings; main technical reference for wet and dry methods
• Certification: choosing dry floodproofing requires the FEMA Floodproofing Certificate for Non-Residential Structures (Form 81-65)

Coordination

• Waterproofing: watertight walls and shields are designed with the envelope
• Flood-resistant materials: select materials that survive wetting for wet floodproofed areas

Sources

• FEMA: floodproofing, https://www.fema.gov/glossary/floodproofing
• FEMA: NFIP Technical Bulletin 3, https://FEMA.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_technical-bulletin-3_1-2021.pdf
• FEMA: Floodproofing non-residential buildings (FEMA P-936), https://www.wbdg.org/FFC/DHS/femap936.pdf
• BNP Media: floodproofing nonresidential buildings course, https://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/courses/smart-vent-products-inc/floodproofing-nonresidential-buildings/2
• Wikimedia Commons: House being elevated, Sycamore St & Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, March 2025 - 2.jpg, by Infrogmation (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:House_being_elevated,_Sycamore_St_&_Carrollton_Avenue,_New_Orleans,_March_2025_-_2.jpg