FEMA Flood Elevation Certificates

If you live in a floodplain, you may need a FEMA Flood Elevation Certificate to get flood insurance. Since tropical storms, hurricanes, and floods have become more frequent and severe in the past decades, it is more important than ever to get your property evaluated for a potential flood. Polysurveying can help property owners evaluate Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), to help navigate the flood insurance process. There are 3 types of Elevation Certificates that are needed throughout the construction process:

• Preliminary Certificate – A preliminary certificate determines the location of the proposed home or building in reference to the existing flood plain and establishes the minimum height requirement by FEMA and the local municipality. Typically, a benchmark elevation is set on-site to provide the builder a reference to the proposed height for construction. It should be noted that local municipalities require additional height above FEMA’s requirements or set their own standards above that requirement that must be followed in order to comply with their permitting rules.
• Building Under Construction or B.U.C. Elevation Certificate – A building under construction certificate is completed at some stage in the construction process (if required by permitting or used as a quality control checkpoint). This is a particularly crucial element when building in flood zone and is highly recommended from our experience that it is performed at the time in which the foundation is formed up to ensure the building height meets those requirements set forth in permitting.
• Final Certificate –A final certificates is completed on existing homes along with at the completion of new home for either flood insurance or obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.) to close out permitting on construction. The final certificate provides insurance companies a basis with certain characteristics of the construction design in relation to the floodplain to give the owner an insurance rating.