Questions About the Enclosure

Answers to the following questions will guide you in identifying the LFE for rating purposes.

In Ruby's case, we must ask if any of the conditions listed below exist. If any apply, the enclosure floor becomes the lowest floor for rating:

  • The enclosed space is finished (having more than 20 linear feet of interior finished wall [paneling, etc.]), or
  • The unfinished, enclosed space is used for other-than-building access (stairwells, elevators, etc.), parking, or storage, or
  • There is an elevator below the BFE, or
  • The unfinished enclosed space has no proper flood openings
If any of these conditions exist, you must use measurement C2.a Top of the Bottom Floor (in this case, the floor of the enclosure) as the lowest floor for rating purposes.
A graphic of an elevated house with an enclosure underneath it near a body of water. A bubble with an arrow labeled C2.a points to a dashed line that is at the base of the enclosure.