As property owners in Liberty County contemplate clean up and repairs following disaster damage, the Liberty County Permit Office is reminding residents to obtain local permits before repairing or rebuilding damaged structures.
The permits are required as part of local government participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, providing eligibility for flood insurance, flood disaster assistance, state and federal grants and loans, and buyout funds for flood-prone property.
Local floodplain management ordinances require that permits be obtained for any construction or development activity in a floodplain area, including the repair or reconstruction of structures damaged by any source.
Special conditions apply to substantially damaged buildings – those in which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s pre-flood market value. If a building is found to be substantially damaged, regulations require that repairs not begin until compliance with the local floodplain ordinance is demonstrated.
In some cases, that may require repairs that include elevating or flood-proofing the structure to reduce the potential for future flood damage.
The cost to repair must be calculated for full repair to “pre-damaged” condition, even if the owner elects to do less. The total cost to repair includes structural and finish materials as well as labor. If labor and materials have been donated, they must still be assigned a value. If local building codes require the structure to be repaired according to certain standards, these additional costs must be included in the full repair cost for the structure.
State and federal assistance may be available to property owners to reduce the chances of future flood damage. Mitigation assistance may cover costs of relocation, or for elevating or purchasing flood-damaged structures. Flood insurance may also provide up to $30,000 to protect a structure from future flood damage.
Property owners and residents with damaged buildings should contact Liberty County Flood Plain Administrator for more information on repair and reconstruction permits.
For more information, call 936-336-4665.
F*** your permits.
People need to keep in mind the purpose of the government is to serve the citizenry, and facilitate the pursuit of liberty and growth for the residents- not try to F them by micromanaging what they do on their own private property by making them pay for a magic piece of paper.
I can point out “colonies” of thousands of pieced together shacks that I highly doubt ever drew a permit, and the county turns a blind eye. But YOU need to comply…
Yeah- F that.
We were involved in the latest flood in liberty county..our home and most of our land was washed away.. how do I find out about the buyout ?
I’m not asking anyone for permission to fix my own property.