Review

The iSWM Program for Construction and Development is a cooperative initiative that assists municipalities and counties to achieve their goals of water quality protection, streambank protection and flood mitigation, while also helping communities meet their construction and post-construction obligations under state stormwater permits.

Development and redevelopment by their nature increase the amount of imperviousness in our surrounding environment. This increased imperviousness translates into loss of natural areas, more sources for pollution in runoff, and heightened flooding risks. Stormwater Drainage Study and Grading Permit reviews are how the City reviews each development project disturbing one or more acres of land. Those reviews ensure that each project follows the City's stormwater design criteria and does not create an adverse impact to flooding on other properties.

Grading Permit

Please be advised that there are review fees associated with project submittals. Contact the Stormwater Development Services department at SDS@fortworthtexas.gov for advice on a specific project or to schedule a Stormwater Pre-Development Conference. Additional information is also found in the City Development Criteria section.

City Council adopted a Grading Ordinance on June 5, 2012, after a series of reviews with stakeholders. Major features include:

• Land alteration in excess of 1 acre (effective Oct. 15, 2015) or more will require an approved Integrated Stormwater Management (iSWM) Plan Grading Permit. Previously, this approval was required for new plats. A $50 administrative fee will be charged for processing the Grading Permit.
• Single family and building permits applicants will be required to provide lot grading patterns. Non-standard (other than HUD) patterns will be subject to review. No fee will be charged for this requirement.

Private Lot Drainage and Private Lot Grading

A drainage problem within your lot or water running from lot-to-lot is considered to be a civil matter and is not regulated by the City of Fort Worth. Contact an engineer or landscape professional to assist you in solving these matters. 

Floodplain management is a community-based effort to reduce the risk of flooding, resulting in a more resilient community. The City outlines its goals and objectives in the Floodplain Management Plan(PDF, 17MB), which is updated every 5 years with support and input from a stakeholder group made up of internal and external stakeholders.

The Zoning Ordinance, Floodplain Provisions Ordinance and the International Building Codes have special provisions regulating construction and other developments within floodplains. Without these provisions, affordable flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) would not be available to property owners in the City of Fort Worth. Any development in the floodplain without a permit is illegal. Such activity can be reported to the Stormwater Management Division’s Customer Service at 817-392-6261.

All development within the City of Fort Worth requires local and state permits.

Download an Application for Floodplain Development Permit

The Floodplain Provisions Ordinance has proven to be very successful in reducing flood damages in or near the FEMA/City regulatory floodplains, but it does not address flood risks in areas outside of the FEMA regulatory floodplains. The City Flood Risk Area Initiative has been created to build upon the successes of the Floodplain Provisions Ordinance to reduce the flood risk in areas outside the FEMA/City regulatory floodplains by establishing consistent development guidelines managed with local resources. The three key components to reducing flood damages in City Flood Risk Areas (CFRA) are mapping the risk areas, communicating the risk to end users, and regulating how developments occur in risk-prone areas.

On July 11, 2024 City Council approved changes to the Floodplain Provision Ordinance and Stormwater Criteria Manual that will take effect on July 15, 2024. The CFRA regulations will affect all development activity on less than 1 acre and located in a CFRA. Such development activity will require:

• Elevation of structures two (2) feet above the 100-year flood elevation, and;
• Submission of a certificate from an engineer to document that the development will not cause increased flood risk to neighboring properties.

The City Floodplain Provisions Ordinance and the criteria manual specify the requirements. View the City ordinances.Specific questions or comments about CFRA development requirements can be directed to Stormwater Development Services (SDS@fortworthtexas.gov).

Updates to the Floodplain Ordinance, Grading Permit Ordinance, and Stormwater Criteria Manual were adopted by City Council on June 11, 2024.
The new regulations will take effect July 15, 2024.

Preparation of these updates included extensive collaboration and coordination with stakeholders and development community representatives.

Approved Updates

Floodplain Ordinance - Proposed CFRA Chapter Update.pdf(PDF, 566KB)
Grading-Permit-Ordinance-Proposed-Update.pdf(PDF, 580KB)
Stormwater Criteria Manual Proposed Updates.pdf(PDF, 18MB)

Approved Changes

Floodplain Ordinance - Proposed CFRA Chapter Changes.pdf(PDF, 156KB)
Grading-Permit-Ordinance-Redline-Proposed-Changes.pdf(PDF, 190KB)
Stormwater Criteria Manual Proposed Changes.pdf(PDF, 28MB)

Stormwater valley storage regulations approved by Council

In keeping with the Stormwater Program’s mission to “Protect People & Property from Harmful Stormwater Runoff,” a proposed update to the floodplain ordinance to incorporate citywide valley storage regulations was approved by City Council on Dec. 9. The updated ordinance protects temporary floodwater storage in floodplains to reduce downstream flood and erosion risk. The ordinance becomes effective Feb. 1, 2026.  

What is valley storage? Temporary floodwater storage in floodplains that reduces downstream flood and erosion risk.  

Why update regulations? To address cumulative development impacts of fill in the floodplain, which has led to increased flooding complaints and erosion concerns.  

Current vs. updated regulations: 

Exemptions: Infrastructure maintenance, utility crossings, etc. 

Findings from valley storage studies: 

Recommendations from valley storage studies and stakeholder engagement (residents, Development Advisory Committee): 

The list below highlights key points for FEMA Floodplain Development. Complete drainage regulations can be found in the Stormwater Criteria Manual(PDF, 10MB) (see Key Points for City Stormwater Development and Floodplain Provisions Ordinance.

• Proposed development within the FEMA regulatory floodplain or floodplain easement (i.e. proposed grading, headwalls, fences, etc.) will require a Floodplain Development Permit (FDP), please submit your application package on-line in Accela.
• When required, a detailed flood study must be accepted prior to the SUBMITTAL of a Final Plat or the Infrastructure Plans to IPRC. Flood studies are also submitted through Accela.
• Proposed grading that would result in reclamation or alteration of the FEMA regulatory floodplain or is designated as Zone A floodplain will require the submittal of a pre-project flood study followed by a post-construction flood study and request for Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) from FEMA.
• Standard review time is 15 business days for Flood Studies or dual Drainage/Flood Studies and 10 business days for FDPs
• A Pre-Submittal meeting with Floodplain Management staff is required before submitting all flood studies. Contact SDS at SDS@fortworthtexas.gov   to arrange the meeting. SDS staff can also be invited to the Pre-Submittal meeting upon request to discuss specific drainage issues.
• Any project proposing grading or structures within a floodway would need to result in a 0.00 foot rise in BFE or require a CLOMR approved by FEMA before an FDP can be issued. Any project proposing grading in the floodplain fringe resulting a more than 1.0 foot rise in BFE would also require a CLOMR.
• Projects located within the Corridor Development Certificate (CDC) regulatory zone will require approval of the Final Action Form prior to FDP Issuance.  The latest CDC Manual, application, and the new consolidated FEMA/CDC model can be found at the following link: http://www.trinityrivercdc.com/.
• Projects located within a FEMA sump area will need to maintain valley storage below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Please contact Floodplain staff to verify the correct BFE and discuss any other development requirements for this area, such as flood vents and floodproofing.
• The building finished floor elevation and all electrical/mechanical equipment servicing the building must be 2 feet above the fully developed 100-yr Water Surface Elevation (WSE). When platting, establish the 100-year WSE to include a 10’ horizontal buffer and show on the plat in a dedicated floodplain easement.

The City of Fort Worth’s Stormwater Management Division has launched a new self-service website. Property owners, developers and engineers can now download Drainage Studies, City Stormwater Studies, Flood Studies, Floodplain Development Permits, and Elevation Certificates.

Visit Stormwater Download Viewer

The big picture: The website will allow the public to review and download City and FEMA data that is relevant to their project needs immediately, without submitting a Public Information Request (PIR). The mapping feature provides the users the ability to search available data by address or cross streets. As more data becomes available, the website will continue to be updated regularly. The website is not intended to replace Pre-Development Conferences and Pre-Submittal meetings.