If any part of the site sits in a flood hazard area, IBC 1612 and ASCE 24 apply. You'll need the flood zone from the FIRM, the base flood elevation (BFE), and the required design flood elevation — the lowest floor, and often mechanical and electrical equipment, must be at or above it, with freeboard where the jurisdiction requires extra.
Anything built below the design flood elevation has to use flood-resistant construction, and in certain zones that means flood openings (to equalize hydrostatic pressure) or breakaway walls.
A common mistake is showing a finished floor elevation without referencing the BFE or design flood elevation, or omitting flood venting in enclosed areas below elevation. Reviewers cross-check the FIRM zone, the elevation basis, and that the lowest floor meets the required elevation.
This guide describes the model code for general understanding and is not a substitute for the adopted code and amendments enforced by your local authority having jurisdiction. Verify all figures against your jurisdiction's codes of record.