Elevation or Floodplain Surveys

An elevation certificate is a tool used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to calculate flood insurance premiums and assess your property's specific susceptibility to flood damage. 

A community's permit file must have an official record that shows new buildings and substantial improvements in all identified Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs)are properly elevated. This elevation information is needed to show compliance with the floodplain management ordinance. FEMA encourages communities to use the Elevation Certificate developed by FEMA to fulfill this requirement since it also can be used by the property owner to obtain flood insurance. Communities participating in the Community Rating System (CRS) are required to use the FEMA Online Elevation Certificate

The certificate shows your property's location, flood zone, building characteristics (such as whether you have a garage), and the elevation of its lowest floor.  The NFIP uses this information to determine how much your flood insurance will cost and is required for certain high-risk structures as a condition for issuing flood coverage.