
This office administers floodplain determination & floodplain development permitting for property located in the unincorporated areas of Washington County.
Because Washington County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, all development within the floodplain requires a permit and authorization before construction begins. Development and construction that occurs outside of the floodplain does not require a floodplain development permit.
For floodplain information on property in the City of Brenham call 979-337-7200.
For floodplain information on property in the City of Burton call 979-289-3400.
TexasFlood.org is a website of the Texas Water Development Board that provides flood-related data and information on what to do before, during, and after a flooding event.
Floodplain maps of Washington County may be viewed at our office, and are available online thru several services.
1. The floodplain may be viewed on the Washington County Appraisal District Interactive Map. After opening the map, select "Floodplain" from the Layer List.
2. The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is available from FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
Option A: Enter an address, a place, or longitude/latitude coordinates for the location, and click “Search”.
Option B: If the address is unknown, or you want to see a list of all flood maps for a given jurisdiction, click “Search All Products”.
3. The FEMA flood hazard file is available in Google Earth. You must first have Google Earth installed on your computer before downloading and viewing the FEMA flood hazard file. Click on this “Stay Dry” link for information and instructions.
Official Floodplain Determinations/Floodplain Development Permit Applications are $100 for single-family residential, and $200 for non-single-family residential. You will need the Legal Description of your property from your Deed to complete a permit application. This information is available from the Washington County Clerk and the Washington County Appraisal District.
Please see Floodplain Determination and Permitting Information and Floodplain Determination and Permitting Procedures for additional information. For a listing of some floodplain professionals working in our area see our Floodplain Services Directory. The permit application, fee, plans, and specifications of the development must be submitted to this office for review and approval before construction begins.
Additional permits may be required to comply with state, and federal regulations for development within areas designated as wetlands. For information on wetlands determination and regulation see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For information on flood insurance see the National Flood Insurance Program or contact an insurance agent.
For additional information, to obtain a floodplain determination, floodplain development permit application, or to file a complaint, contact Mark Marzahn by email at mmarzahn@wacounty.com or by phone at 979-277-6290, when prompted press 3.