E – 1624 Investigating Coastal Regulatory Requirements

States and communities throughout the United States enforce regulatory requirements that determine where and how buildings may be sited, designed, and constructed. These requirements include those associated with regulatory programs established by Federal and State statutes and locally adopted floodplain management ordinances, building codes, subdivision regulations, and other land use ordinances and laws.

Applicable regulatory programs include the NFIP, which is intended to reduce the loss of life and damage caused by natural hazards, and programs established to protect wetlands and other wildlife habitat, which seek to minimize degradation of the environment. In addition, States and communities enforce requirements aimed specifically at the regulation of construction
along the shorelines of oceans, bays, and lakes.

Federal, State, and local regulatory requirements can have a significant effect on the siting, design, construction, and cost of buildings. Therefore, designers, property owners, and builders engaged in residential construction projects in the coastal environment should conduct a thorough investigation to identify all regulations that may affect their properties and projects.