---
title: "Substantial Improvement and Damage Guidelines | Fort Myers Beach"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/41a5d8cb-6321-4cf7-9dd3-ec158fd5b960
source_url: "https://www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov/991/Substantial-ImprovementSubstantial-Damag"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/home/stack/228974f6-08d9-436e-ba99-65a64a3f30e1
summary: "The 50% Rule requires that any structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area with improvements or repairs equaling 50 percent of its value must be brought into full compliance with current Flood Insurance Rate Map requirements. Fort Myers Beach further mandates that the calculation include all permits obtained in the past five years, and encourages property owners to consult Community Development Staff before undertaking projects that may trigger this regulation."
tags: "flood-insurance, substantial-improvement, substantial-damage, 50-percent-rule, fema, fort-myers-beach, floodplain-management"
key_entities: "Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage (50% Rule) (concept), National Flood Insurance Program (organization), FEMA (organization), Fort Myers Beach (location), Special Flood Hazard Area (concept), Flood Insurance Rate Map (concept), Community Development Staff (organization)"
classification: "reference"
content_hash: "sha256:01b112dec841001830a4b80dd96b1dcd0c0a85dc235bf35a60b80f831b94fd7f"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 477
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Substantial Improvement and Damage Guidelines | Fort Myers Beach

Skip to Main Content Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.    Website Sign In REPORT A CONCERN /QuickLinks.aspx Search Home Services & Permits Flood Information Building, Remodeling or Repairing Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage ​​​​​The National Flood Insurance Program requires that any structure located in the Special Flood Hazard area that has improvements or repairs equaling 50 percent of the value of the structure must be brought into full compliance with current Flood Insurance Rate Map Requirements. In addition, Fort Myers Beach requires that the calculation for the value of the improvements or repairs must include all permits obtained in the past five years. This often comes into play during the remodeling of older structures, which were built before 1984 when Flood Insurance Rate Maps were adopted or for structures built to compliance to outdated maps. The Town of Fort Myers Beach encourages property owners and contractors to contact Community Development Staff to discuss proposed improvement or repair projects that might trigger substantial improvement/substantial damage regulation, often called “the 50 percent rule.” Historic structures may be exempt from these requirements if the compliance would threaten the structure’s continued eligibility for historic designation. Flood Mapping Quicklinks: Contact Community Development Staff by calling 239-765-0202 or emailing FIRM@fortmyersbeachfl.gov Learn more about FEMA’s Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage requirements   Home Site Map Accessibility Copyright Notices Government Websites by CivicPlus® /QuickLinks.aspx Government Websites by CivicPlus® Loading Loading Do Not Show Again Close Arrow Left Arrow Right [] Slideshow Left Arrow Slideshow Right Arrow