Cape Coral is a city with more than 400 miles of canals, and for homes inside it the city, not Lee County, runs floodplain review. In the Special Flood Hazard Area, every improvement or repair needs a city permit along with a Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage application. After damage, the repair estimate must include everything needed to bring the house back to its condition before the damage. If it reaches 50% of the building’s market value, the whole house must meet current flood construction rules, which can mean elevating or rebuilding it.
On the city’s application form, market value means the building alone, not the land. It can come from an independent appraisal done within the last 12 months, or from the assessed value adjusted by the property appraiser’s factor. If your house has a substantial-damage finding, we can still buy it, and the cost of meeting the rule becomes ours. This is general information, not legal advice.