Elevation Certificate

An elevation certificate is a document prepared by a licensed land surveyor or engineer that officially records a building's elevation relative to the base flood elevation (BFE) in its location. The base flood elevation is FEMA's estimate of the water level expected to be reached or exceeded during a major flood event -- specifically a 1-in-100-year flood. The elevation certificate tells the flood insurance program exactly how much higher or lower your home sits relative to that benchmark.

The difference in elevation between your home and the BFE directly determines your flood insurance premium. For every foot above the BFE your lowest floor sits, premiums drop meaningfully. For every foot below it, they rise steeply. A home sitting two feet above the BFE might pay $700 per year for flood insurance. The same home sitting one foot below the BFE might pay $3,500 per year or more for comparable coverage. An elevation certificate that documents favorable elevation is one of the most powerful tools available for reducing flood insurance costs in high-risk zones.

Elevation certificates are required for flood policies in high-risk Special Flood Hazard Areas and are strongly recommended in moderate-risk zones. If you are buying a home in or near a flood zone and no elevation certificate exists, request one before closing or negotiate for the seller to obtain it. If a certificate was prepared years ago but your area has since been remapped, the old certificate may not reflect your current zone accurately. The cost of obtaining a new one, typically $500 to $1,000, is almost always recovered within the first year of premium savings if the results are favorable.