Flood zones and elevation in Gulf Shores.
VE, AE, freeboard and what they mean for waterfront lots.

What do VE, AE and X mean on a Gulf Shores lot?

VE is the coastal high-hazard zone, where waves add to the flood. AE is a flood zone where FEMA has set a base flood elevation. X is outside the mapped high-risk areas.

FEMA's Baldwin County data holds VE, AE (including floodway), AO, A and X zones. It also holds 35 lines that mark where moderate waves can still reach. FEMA flood hazard layer The effective maps are dated April 19, 2019, for the county and for every coastal community. FEMA Community Status Book

Sources: Gulf Shores Sec. 7-92 Gulf Shores flood ordinance Gulf Shores Sec. 7-88(6) FEMA flood hazard layer

VE-zone elevations on the county map run from 10 to 18 feet, and 12 and 13 feet are the most common. FEMA VE elevations Those are building numbers, not wall heights. For wall height, see seawall height requirements.

What are base flood elevation and freeboard?

Base flood elevation, or BFE, is the height of a flood with a 1 percent chance each year. Freeboard is extra height a local code adds on top. Together they set the floor height for a new or substantially improved building.

Sources: Gulf Shores flood ordinance Baldwin County flood zone page Baldwin County ordinance, Feb. 20, 2024 Foley Floodplain Ordinance Art. 4

Why did Gulf Shores move from three feet to one?

The city adopted three feet of freeboard in 2005, after Hurricane Ivan, for areas south of Fort Morgan Road and all VE zones. Elsewhere it was one foot. Gulf Shores staff memo, Aug. 16, 2017

An August 16, 2017 staff memo says FEMA maps raised base flood elevations south of Fort Morgan Road by about three feet in several areas. Some Little Lagoon properties rose more. The memo recommended one foot for all AE and VE zones. The ordinance in the August 28, 2017 council packet made that change. Gulf Shores staff memo, Aug. 16, 2017

What paperwork proves the height?

A Gulf Shores permit in a flood area needs three certificates. Gulf Shores 2025 handbook

1. A Proposed Construction Elevation Certificate, with the application.
2. An under-construction certificate, before vertical work.
3. A finished certificate, once machinery is set.

V zones also need a V-Zone certification signed by the engineer of record. The county asks for a stamped Elevation Certificate, too. Baldwin County flood zone page See the Baldwin County permit guide.

Do the 50 percent rules apply to a seawall?

Not the flood rule. In Gulf Shores' floodplain code, "structure" means a walled and roofed building or a manufactured home. "Substantial improvement" means work costing 50 percent or more of that building's market value. Gulf Shores Sec. 7-99.1 Foley uses the same 50 percent line for buildings. Foley Floodplain Ordinance

Other rules do count walls, so your wall can still trigger a 50 percent test.

• On the Gulf front, Gulf Shores' beach and dune code names a bulkhead as a structure and measures substantial improvement at 50 percent of fair market value. Gulf Shores Sec. 7-121
• ADEM uses the same 50 percent test for any structure. ADEM rule 335-8-1-.02(jjj)
• State Lands treats a structure as new if more than 50 percent is rebuilt or the pilings are altered. ADCNR rule 220-4-.09(2)(c)-(d)

Does a wall still need a flood permit?

Often yes. Gulf Shores defines development as any man-made change to land, including dredging, filling and grading. It requires a floodplain development permit in mapped hazard areas. Gulf Shores flood ordinance Backfill behind a wall is fill, so ask the floodplain administrator how it counts.

In unincorporated Baldwin County, a bulkhead needs a marine accessory permit only if it lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area. The flood permit fee is $75. Baldwin County marine accessory checklist Baldwin County fee schedule In Foley, a riparian permit applicant needs an engineer's no-rise certificate if the work is in a floodway. Foley Code Sec. 4-227

What does CRS class 10 versus class 7 mean for premiums?

The Community Rating System rewards towns that go beyond FEMA's minimum floodplain rules with a discount on flood insurance premiums. A Class 10 town gets no discount. A Class 7 town gets 15 percent. FEMA CRS list, Oct. 1, 2026

Sources: FEMA CRS list FEMA CRS list FEMA CRS list FEMA CRS list

Gulf Shores first entered the CRS on October 1, 1993. FEMA CRS list The unincorporated county covers Fort Morgan, Bon Secour, Point Clear and Ono Island. FEMA CRS list

Ask your insurance agent how the class appears on your policy. The discount does not change building rules, and it does not make seawalls insurable. See the seawall insurance guide.

What do NOAA records say about high tides and sea level?

Water is rising slowly on this coast, and NOAA expects more days of high tide flooding. No NOAA tide gauge is running on the Baldwin County shore today, so Dauphin Island is the closest active station. NOAA CO-OPS station list

Sources: NOAA station 8735180 NOAA station 8737048 NOAA station 8729840

• NOAA's 2026 outlook for Dauphin Island projects 9 days of high tide flooding with high confidence and 2 more with low confidence. The 2019 outlook was 5 days and 0. NOAA high tide flooding outlook
• The Weeks Bay reserve logged 4 nuisance flooding incidents in 2012 and 12 in 2022. Weeks Bay reserve plan draft
• For Dauphin Island, NWS minor coastal flooding starts 2.0 feet above mean higher high water. NOAA CO-OPS flood thresholds

Why this matters for a wall: higher water reaches the cap and tiebacks more often. The county flood ordinance sets no bulkhead height. Baldwin County ordinance Art. 4 Wall height is a design call. See seawall height requirements and the storms guide.

How do you find a parcel's flood zone?

Start with the official maps, then ask the office that permits your parcel. Do not rely on a real estate listing or a lender's summary alone.

1. Find out who permits the parcel. Open the county Revenue Commission Parcel Viewer, choose Baldwin County Data, then switch on the layers for city limits and building permit jurisdictions. Baldwin County jurisdiction guide
2. Look up the zone on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Gulf Shores links it, plus its own GIS map, from its Floodplain Management page. Gulf Shores floodplain page Gulf Shores permits page
3. Ask for a determination. In Gulf Shores, call the Building Department at (251) 968-1150. Gulf Shores Building FAQ Gulf Shores floodplain page
4. In the county, questions about reading flood maps go to the Coastal Area Program coordinator at (251) 972-6837. Baldwin County flood contact
5. In Foley, call Planning and Development Services at (251) 952-4011. Foley Planning and Development Services
6. Ask for any Elevation Certificate on file. Gulf Shores keeps them from 1998 on, and the county portal search lists them too. Gulf Shores FAQ Baldwin County permit history

FEMA may issue map revisions after the study date. Confirm the current panel for the parcel. Gulf Shores Sec. 7-75

Where do these zones matter most around Gulf Shores?

The zone you are in depends on the water in front of you, and the office that applies the rules depends on the city limit. Use these area guides for local detail.

• Gulf front. VE zones and dunes. In the county, the lowest horizontal member must be 1 foot above BFE, and man-made alteration of dunes is prohibited. Baldwin County ordinance Art. 4 See West Beach, East Beach and Fort Morgan Gulf side.
• Little Lagoon. The 2017 maps raised elevations most on some lagoon-front properties. Gulf Shores staff memo, Aug. 16, 2017 See the north shore and south shore.
• Bon Secour and Fish River. Baldwin County lists both among its repetitive loss areas. Baldwin County CRS page River flooding was worse in Hurricane Sally because surge kept rain from draining. NHC Sally report See Bon Secour and Weeks Bay and Fish River.
• Magnolia Springs and Foley. The county rules apply in the town, and Foley has its own. See the Baldwin County permit guide and Magnolia Springs.
• Canals and the waterway. See Old Town canals and Waterway Village.