What Is an Elevation Certificate and Do You Need One

What the Certificate Contains

The elevation certificate is an official FEMA form (Form 086-0-33) that records specific measurements about your building's elevation and location. The key data points include the building's lowest floor elevation, the lowest adjacent grade (the lowest ground level touching the building), the highest adjacent grade, and whether the building has a basement, crawlspace, or enclosure below the lowest elevated floor.

In flood zones where FEMA has established a base flood elevation (AE and VE zones), the certificate also records the relationship between your building's lowest floor and the BFE. This relationship is expressed as a number of feet above or below the BFE. A positive number means your lowest floor is above the expected flood level, which is favorable for insurance pricing. A negative number means your lowest floor is below the expected flood level, which results in higher premiums.

The certificate also records the property's flood zone designation, the map panel number, the community identification number, and the date of the survey. This information connects the elevation data to the specific FEMA map and community context, ensuring the measurements are properly tied to the correct flood risk standards.

Only a licensed land surveyor, professional engineer, or architect authorized by state law to certify elevation information can prepare an elevation certificate. The professional visits your property, sets up survey equipment, measures the relevant elevations to FEMA's accuracy standards, and completes the form. The document carries their professional seal and license number, which makes them legally responsible for the accuracy of the measurements.

How It Affects Your Premium Under Risk Rating 2.0

Before Risk Rating 2.0, elevation certificates were the primary tool for determining NFIP premiums in flood zones. The difference between your lowest floor elevation and the base flood elevation was the single most important rating variable. A home one foot above the BFE paid significantly less than a home one foot below it, and the elevation certificate was the only way to document this measurement.

Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA uses its own geospatial data to estimate the first-floor height of every insured property. This means the program no longer requires an elevation certificate for rating purposes. However, if you have an elevation certificate that shows your home sits higher than FEMA's estimate, you can submit it to your insurance company and your premium will be recalculated using the certificate's more favorable data.

The premium impact of an elevation certificate depends on how much your actual elevation differs from FEMA's estimate. If FEMA estimates your first floor at 1 foot above grade but your elevation certificate shows 3 feet above grade, the additional 2 feet of clearance can reduce your premium by several hundred dollars per year. The savings are most dramatic for properties where FEMA's estimate is significantly lower than reality, which is common for homes with raised foundations, homes on lots that slope away from the street, and homes where recent grading work has changed the ground elevation around the building.

For properties where FEMA's estimate is already accurate or favorable, an elevation certificate may not produce meaningful savings and the $500 to $2,000 cost would not be justified. Asking your insurance agent to compare your current premium with what it would be with certificate data can help you determine whether the investment is worthwhile before you hire a surveyor.

When an Elevation Certificate Is Worth the Investment

An elevation certificate is most likely to pay for itself when your property is in a high-risk flood zone (A or V zone) with high premiums, when your home appears to sit well above surrounding ground level, when your home has a raised foundation (piers, pilings, crawlspace, or elevated slab), or when your current premium seems disproportionately high compared to neighbors with similar properties.

The certificate is less likely to be worthwhile for properties in X zones where premiums are already low (under $500 per year), for properties on flat terrain where FEMA's elevation estimates are likely accurate, or for slab-on-grade homes where the first-floor height is minimal by definition.

A good approach is to ask your insurance agent what your premium would be with a more favorable elevation before investing in the certificate. Some agents can run hypothetical ratings to show you the premium difference between FEMA's estimated elevation and a higher value. If the annual savings exceed the cost of the certificate within one to two years, it is a sound investment.

Letter of Map Amendment as an Alternative

If your elevation certificate shows that your property is above the base flood elevation in all relevant measurements, you may qualify for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). A LOMA is a formal determination from FEMA that removes your property from the Special Flood Hazard Area, effectively reclassifying it from a high-risk zone to an X zone. This reclassification eliminates the mandatory flood insurance requirement for federally backed mortgages and can produce more dramatic premium reductions than the elevation certificate alone.

The LOMA process requires your elevation certificate data plus a completed application to FEMA. The process typically takes 60 to 90 days and there is no fee if you submit the application through FEMA's online portal. If approved, the LOMA is a permanent record that applies to all future owners of the property unless a subsequent map revision changes the flood zone boundaries.

Not every property with a favorable elevation certificate qualifies for a LOMA. The property must be shown to be on natural high ground that is above the BFE, not on fill material that was placed to raise the elevation. Properties elevated on fill may qualify for a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F), which has additional engineering requirements and may involve fees.