What constitutes as substantial improvement or substantial damage?

Substantial improvement means any rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a building when the cost of the improvement equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the building before start of construction of the improvement. 

The term includes buildings which have incurred "substantial damage," or damage of any origin sustained by a building when the cost of restoring the building to its pre-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the building before the damage occurred. Substantial damage is determined regardless of the actual repair work performed.

Substantial improvement or damage does not, however, include any project for improvement of a building to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions. Also excluded from the substantial improvement requirement are alterations to historic structures as defined by the NFIP.

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1. What is a floodplain?
2. What is a floodway and who designates it?
3. How do I find out if my property is in a floodplain?
4. What are the penalties if I don't secure all my permits?
5. How are premiums calculated?
6. What constitutes as substantial improvement or substantial damage?
7. How are flood hazard areas and flood levels determined?
8. What are flood hazard zones and what do they mean?
9. If a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is believed to be incorrect, what can be done to change it?
10. What is Letter Of Map Amendment (LOMA)?
11. What comprises technical or scientific data?
12. What is a Letter Of Map Revision (LOMR)?