If you own property within a flood hazard area, and want to obtain a bank loan to fund a building project, you will be required to purchase flood insurance. To do this, you must first have a licensed professional complete a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Elevation Certificate. This certificate is used to identify the risk of flood damage by flood elevations and critical building elevations.

The Elevation Certificate actually has four uses:

• Lenders, owners, and community development agencies use the certificate to identify the risk of flood damage. Once this risk level is known, insurance premium rates are assigned. The higher the risk, the greater the premium.


• Planning boards use the information to determine if and how you must comply with flood plain development regulations.


• Engineers, architects, and building code inspectors use it to identify the type of hazard-resistant construction to design or approve.

To fill out an elevation certificate, the professional (usually a surveyor) must first obtain the Flood Insurance Rate Map for the area. These maps show the approximate limits of special flood hazard areas and reference the benchmarks against which building elevations must be compared.

Once complete, the certificate provides the elevation information that others use to comply with floodplain regulations. The lender uses the information to set insurance rates. Planning boards and code enforcement officers use it to determine if they can issue site plan approvals and building permits. Design professionals need the data to conduct hydraulic studies to see if the building obstructs the natural flow of water and to design watertight structures. And property owners who dispute that their land is within a flood zone can use the certificate to initiate a process of amending the flood maps and reduce or eliminate their flood insurance premiums.

Preparing these certificates is not inexpensive. The best choice to make is to avoid building in a flood hazard area altogether. If you have a structure, however, that was built prior to the enactment of flood regulations, the certificate is required before you can obtain a bank loan or a permit to repair or improve your property.

If you are in need of an Elevation Certificate or would like more information contact Scott Smith, L.S. at 585-334-1310 or by email at ssmith@fisherassoc.com