Flood Elevation on Fort Lauderdale Canal Lots
Canal parcels sit in FEMA flood zones that set a base flood elevation, and new construction has to place its finished floor above that figure with freeboard added. On lots where the existing house dates back decades, the required height often lands two to four feet above the current slab. The entry, the driveway, the garage approach, and the connection between the interior and the yard all follow from it.
Designed for from the start, that height is worth having. It lifts the main living level above the seawall and opens water views a ground level house cannot reach. Modern residences on these canals use the elevation deliberately, and the premium a water view carries rewards it. Cannatelli Builders establishes the elevation in pre-construction, which is the practical benefit of a waterfront home builder in Fort Lauderdale who controls design and construction together.