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	Subject - Flood Plain work kbsparky Today, we got a lesson in working in and around the FEMA (100 year) "Floodplain" This job was near the water front of the Chesapeake Bay, and they have a benchmark placed on the lot where the house is being built. This is a modular house, set on a 7-block high foundation. The house is so high off the ground, due to the floodplain restrictions. Now for the problems: You are not allowed to install any electrical equipment or apparatus in that zone, except for exempt items, such as the utility-provided meter socket. I was going to use a combination meter/service/panel there, but if I did, it would have be almost 10 feet off the ground! They told me I would have to build a 3x3 platform, along with suitable steps for access if I wanted to mount any sort of outside disconnect box out there! We ended up using just the plain meter box, and ran conduit under the house to the panel for the service. There was about 6 feet of exposed conduit under there, more than we usually install without an outside disconnect. I'll have to see if the inspector-critter passes the installation. Stay tuned ..... FWIW, the outside units for the HVAC systems are also required to be placed high on a platform, or extended deck area, to keep them out of the flood plain. Any horror stories while working in those FEMA mandated areas lctrc789 Yea been there done that, In St.Joe MIss and near the Missouri river, I had been licensed in Indian in 84 and went there to do work and BOY did I find out when I went to take there little test, LOL The meter bases must be 10 feet MIN and no more then 14 and with a disconnecting means above that for the river rising etc... My thought was how the heck do they read the meters wee they built steps up to them lol nfsus When I worked for the other guy, I was sent with my master to a house in a flood plain. I had worked in that area before with yet another electrical outfit and I told him what we had to be 8' off the flood plain. He said, Nah, thats silly. After the inspector showed up the job failed. When I went back to trim it out, the company I had worked for took the panel off the wall and mounted it flat to the ceiling. It was wrong and no one cared. And a pain to put the breakers in.