FEMA Elevation Certificates

An elevation certificate for flood insurance may be required when a building or piece of property is located in a flood hazard zone designated by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), the elevation of the structure is determined using an Elevation Certificate. The insurance industry uses elevation certificates to set insurance rates, and county and city governments use them to ensure that newly constructed buildings are higher than the area’s declared flood level.

A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) can be completed to remove a site, or part of a site, from the Special Hazard Area if your land is above the Base Flood Elevation that FEMA has calculated for your area. A site may still be impacted by flooding in the future even if a LOMA removes it from the Special Hazard Area.