Homeowners who are paying for flood insurance may have heard the term “elevation certificate”, but just what is an elevation certificate? An elevation certificate is a certificate associated with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which provides information on elevation, building type, flood map location and other information. It measures the difference in elevation between a home or building and the base flood elevation of that area.
This information is used to help determine appropriate premium rates for flood insurance. More importantly for homeowners, the certificate of elevation can be used by property owners seeking to remove their structure from a designated Special Flood Hazard Area and ultimately reduce or terminate flood insurance premiums.
FEMA elevation certificates must be signed and sealed by a legally certified land surveyor, engineer or architect. They are most often prepared by a licensed land surveyor who can conduct an elevation survey and complete the elevation certificate along with submission of the Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) to FEMA for you.
To learn more about elevation certificates, contact us at (617) 899-0703.