Blog · October 14, 2026 · California
Daly City Flood Zone Map, California: a practical guide
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Colma takes a few minutes.
Main page: San Mateo County, CA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before an offer near Pacifica, look at the Daly City flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, building rules and resale. Covered here for Daly City: finding the address on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and matching it with the county parcel viewer.
The Daly City flood zone map: start here
The official source is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: type an address near Brisbane, and pick the FIRMette or map view. A tract near San Bruno without an address can still be found: zoom in from the nearest road then click the parcel area.
Getting to the right map
Your first stop is the San Mateo County parcel viewer; it covers each tax parcel in the county, Pacifica included. Without an address in hand, pan along the nearest road until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want, which applies near Brisbane as much as anywhere. With a lot near Pacifica, a pop-up or side panel usually lists the owner of record, assessed acreage, a parcel ID and sometimes recent sales.
City limits and county records
Daly City lies within San Mateo County, California, and the county assessor maps its lots. Out toward San Bruno, City or town hall handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, while the county keeps the tax map. Lots just outside the city limits toward Millbrae generally falls under county rules instead.
Neighboring parcel maps
San Mateo County touches Alameda County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, and Santa Cruz County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. A tract near the line by Brisbane may show up across two assessors' files, so check the neighboring map as well. For property near Pacifica, the Platbookmapper state page lists every bordering county map for California.
Which office to call
Recorded documents for a parcel near South San Francisco sit in the index kept by the County Recorder, usually searchable by name or document number. Building or septic questions for a lot near Brisbane are for the local planning and health departments, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
Using it on a phone
Most viewers work in a phone browser, which helps when you're standing on land near San Bruno, though signal can drop in rural spots. A saved image of the lot near Pacifica and its lines is a good backup.
Sections, lots and bearings
California follows the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near South San Francisco is described by section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Pacifica can be irregular. Write down the legal description for the tract near Brisbane for any title or survey request.
What the zone letters mean
An AE label carries a published BFE, which plain A zones lack; surveyors near Pacifica use that number. In and around San Bruno, a shaded X area is moderate risk, between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floods; plain X, or C on older maps, means minimal mapped risk.
Recorded documents worth pulling
When the details count, pull the recorded deed from the County Recorder; the parcel map near South San Francisco only summarizes it. Long-held tracts around South San Francisco can trace back through many deeds, and a title company earns its fee if money is changing hands.
A short flood checklist
Ask the seller about past flood claims for the house near Colma; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
Places you'll see on the map
Redwood City holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Colma, San Bruno, Brisbane, and South San Francisco, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Around 726,353 people live in San Mateo County (Census estimate, 2023) across about 449 square miles. Places such as Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge help you orient on the aerial around Pacifica.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
When the zone clips a corner of a lot near San Bruno, the structure's footprint is the key question.
Water near Pacifica
Small streams around San Bruno may not have detailed mapping, so ask neighbors about past flooding. Marshy spots near Colma can limit building too; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Money questions tied to the zone
For property near Pacifica, get the Elevation Certificate if one exists: it can change the insurance price a lot. Building or adding on near San Bruno in a mapped zone can trigger elevation rules; ask the local floodplain administrator before you plan.
Quick answers
How do I check the flood zone for an address in Daly City?
Generally, look up the spot near Pacifica in FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer; then confirm the parcel on the county viewer.
Is AE a high-risk flood zone near San Bruno?
AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area with a published base flood elevation, which shapes building rules near Colma.
What is a base flood elevation near Colma?
Short answer: a BFE near Colma tells builders how high the lowest floor should be; local rules may require building above it.
Can a flood zone near Brisbane change?
Generally, a new study can move a zone line near Brisbane; your community is notified before changes take effect.
Can I use the viewer in the field near South San Francisco?
Most viewers run in a mobile browser; load it before you lose coverage near Millbrae.
Open the official San Mateo County, CA parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.