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FEMA Elevation Certificate

If your property is in a high-risk flood zone, your mortgage lender or insurance agent will likely require a FEMA Elevation Certificate (EC) to secure or rate your flood insurance.

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What is an Elevation Certificate?

An Elevation Certificate (EC) is an administrative tool of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which is used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, to determine the proper insurance premium rate, and to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision based on fill (LOMR-F).

Only a state-licensed land surveyor, engineer, or architect authorized by law to certify elevation information can complete and stamp a FEMA Elevation Certificate. In most states, property owners hire a land surveyor to perform the field measurements.

Why do you need one?

  • Flood Insurance Rates: It documents the elevation of your building's lowest floor relative to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), allowing agents to accurately calculate your premium.
  • Mortgage Requirements: Lenders require flood insurance for properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) before closing on a loan.
  • Building Permits: Local building departments often require an EC before, during, and after construction in a flood zone to verify the structure meets elevation rules.
Check if an EC already exists. Sometimes you can find a prior Elevation Certificate on file with your local building or zoning department, or from the previous property owner.

What to send a surveyor (to get accurate quotes)

  • Property address + parcel/lot info.
  • Current photographs of the building (front, back, and any crawlspaces/vents).
  • Reason for the EC (e.g., insurance renewal, new construction permit, LOMA request).
  • Timeline constraints (e.g., closing date or insurance lapse date).

What changes Elevation Certificate pricing?

  • Building type: Homes with crawlspaces, multiple attached garages, split-levels, or complex foundations take more time to measure and document correctly.
  • Location and accessibility: Rural properties or heavily vegetated sites take longer to access and survey.
  • Availability of benchmarks: Surveyors need to tie their measurements to known elevation benchmarks. If none are nearby, they have to run elevation lines from further away, increasing time and cost.
  • Rush fees: Requesting a turnaround of less than a week usually incurs a premium.

Typical cost

An Elevation Certificate typically costs between $500 and $1,200 depending on the region, property complexity, and surveyor availability. For more details on typical pricing, see the Cost Guide.

FAQ

Does an Elevation Certificate expire?

An Elevation Certificate doesn't strictly "expire," but it may become invalid if the building is altered (e.g., an addition is built, the lowest floor is changed) or if FEMA updates the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for your area.

Can any land surveyor do an Elevation Certificate?

Yes, any licensed Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) in your state can complete one, but it is highly recommended to hire a surveyor who specializes in flood mapping and FEMA certificates to avoid costly paperwork errors.

Will an Elevation Certificate lower my insurance?

It depends. If the certificate proves your lowest floor is higher than the Base Flood Elevation, it can significantly lower your premium or even allow you to remove the mandatory insurance requirement via a LOMA. If it's lower, your rate may stay the same or increase.

Related next steps

If you're buying a house, you might also need a Boundary or ALTA Survey for your lender. If you need to know average prices in your state, check out Cost by State.

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