Flood zones, digging and who to call in Tuscaloosa
Three local checks are worth making before waterproofing work starts: whether the house is in a mapped flood zone, whether buried lines have been marked, and which office looks after the drain or ditch in front of your house. Each depends on whether your address is in the city, in Northport or in the county.
Why the flood zone matters for a crawl space
The City of Tuscaloosa names three kinds of flooding: slow flooding from the Black Warrior River, flash flooding from creeks and streams inside the city, and flooding from storm drains that are overloaded. A liner and a dehumidifier deal with damp. They are not built for any of those.
The zone also affects what may be done to the foundation. The city's floodplain code requires enclosed areas below flood level, in new and substantially improved buildings, to have openings that let floodwater pass in and out by itself. Owners sign to say those openings will be kept as flood vents. Sealing them as part of an encapsulation could put the house out of line with that code, and the code also keeps mechanical and electrical equipment out of the space below flood level.
So find out the zone first, and if the house is in one, ask the floodplain office what is allowed before you sign anything.
Where to ask about your flood zone
| Your address is | Ask |
|---|---|
| Inside Tuscaloosa city limits | The Office of the City Engineer. Fill in the floodplain determination request. If the form cannot settle it, staff review the address and email the result within two business days. The office can give the FEMA flood zone, the map panel number and the base flood elevation, and says on its flood maps page that it will share an elevation certificate or a record of past flood damage where it holds one. |
| In Northport | Start with the City Engineer's office at Northport City Hall, 205-339-7000. It is the contact the city gives for stormwater run-off concerns. |
| In the county, outside any city or town | The Tuscaloosa County Floodplain Manager at Public Works, (205) 345-6600. The same page carries the county's flood damage prevention ordinance and its flood plain permit form. |
| Anywhere | FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the official flood insurance rate map for any address you type in. |
Before anyone digs: Alabama 811
French drains, downspout lines, footing drains and sump discharge pipes all mean a trench. Alabama 811 asks for a locate request at least two full working days before digging starts, and the day you ask does not count. You can dial 811 or use the online homeowner form. There is no charge for the service.
- Mark the area you plan to dig with white paint only. Other colours are used for the utilities themselves.
- Each utility marks its own lines. Wait until all of them have responded.
- Within 18 inches either side of a mark, dig by hand.
- If a line is hit, stop, move away and call 911 if there is any chance it is gas.
When a company is doing the digging, it should place the request. Ask for the ticket number before work begins.
A blocked drain, a full ditch, water in the road
| Where | Who to tell |
|---|---|
| City of Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa 311: dial 311 inside the city, or 205-248-5311 from elsewhere. It takes requests about city streets, water and sewer on weekdays, and has an app and an online form. |
| Northport | Northport Connect, the city's online request system, or City Hall on 205-339-7000. |
| County-maintained roads | Tuscaloosa County Public Works on 205-345-6600 during the working week. Give the address or the nearest landmark. |
What none of these offices do
They look after public drains, maps and permits. Water that gathers on your own lot, under your own house, is yours to deal with. That is where a waterproofing company comes in.
Tell someone what you are seeing
Call and describe what is going on under the house or in the basement. You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company that works in your part of Tuscaloosa County.
Calls may be recorded. The company pays this site for the introduction. See the referral disclosure.