Is there an definition for a "rigid wall" as it refers to required flood insurance. I have an agent stating that a structure is uninsurable because "the walls are not rigid and determined to be “skin” (the building is steel beams with aluminum sheets, no inner wall, therefore not a rigid wall" It sure would be helpful to know what FEMA means when it says the walls must be rigid.

Unless they are made to breakaway, I'm not sure how he is making that determination. Many commercial warehouses, etc. are steel beam constuction and I have never heard of such an argument. Your customer should try another agent.

I haven't heard that argument either. I have had farm buildings that are 3 sided metal on wood or metal frame and they were insurable.

www.fema.gov/pdf/nfip/prodmanual200510/03gr.pdf

III. BUILDING PROPERTY ELIGIBILITY
A. Eligible Buildings
Insurance may be written only on a structure with two or more outside rigid walls and a fully secured roof that is affixed to a permanent site. Buildings must resist flotation, collapse, and lateral movement.

Aluminum sheets when properly affixed to a frame is a rather rigid material.

If the agent still refuses to insure the building then I would suggest getting an opinion from FEMA.

Thanks everyone for your insight. I was pretty sure that the rationale that there was no rigid wall didn't hold water in this case.

It would still be nice to have a clear definition, she says with a sigh, as she continues in her delusional state envisioning a utopian Compliance World!