Flood protection for waterfront homes
Flood barriers, panels and flood vents for South Florida homes.
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Removable barriers and panels for doors and garages, and flood vents for enclosures below the flood level, fitted alongside your seawall plan.
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- Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and the Keys
The short answer
Flood vents let water flow through an enclosure below the flood level; FEMA's NFIP rules call for at least 2 openings on at least 2 walls, with 1 square inch of net open area per square foot of enclosed area and the bottom no higher than 1 ft above grade. Flood barriers keep water out of doors and garages, but under the NFIP homes may not use dry floodproofing below base flood elevation to meet the rules (FEMA).
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Who this is for
Owners of homes with garages or enclosures below the flood level, and owners who want removable protection for doors ahead of storms and king tides.
Why a seawall alone does not stop flooding
Miami Beach notes that groundwater rises through the porous limestone under the city, so seawalls by themselves cannot stop flooding. Barriers, vents and drainage each handle a different path the water takes.[4]
Frequently asked questions
Do flood barriers actually work?
They can keep water out of an opening when they are installed before the water arrives and sealed properly, but they are an extra layer of protection. Under the NFIP, homes cannot be dry floodproofed below base flood elevation to meet the rules.
Do garage doors count as flood vents?
No. FEMA says garage doors do not meet the NFIP minimum requirements for flood openings.
Sources
- Proper Openings: Enclosures (Applicable to Zones A, A1-A30, AE, AO, AH, AR and AR Dual) (glossary), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Openings (glossary), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Floodproofing (glossary), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Rising Above the Risk: Frequently Asked Questions (05/05/2017), City of Miami Beach. Accessed October 27, 2026.
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