What Is An Elevation Certificate?

​If you are purchasing a property or live in a flood-prone area, you will probably be required to purchase flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). To obtain flood insurance, you'll need an elevation certificate because it's essential to document certain property elements, such as the flood zone, location, and elevation of the lowest level. 

A land surveyor's elevation certificate is used to establish how vulnerable your property is to flooding in the event of a flood. It provides insurance companies with the information they need to determine how much flood insurance to charge.

How to Obtain a Certificate of Elevation
Contact the floodplain manager in your area. That property may already have an elevation certificate on file. Every municipality participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has a floodplain manager, who may have a different title or serve in numerous roles. 

To begin, contact your town or city government office and inquire about the floodplain manager or the person in charge of Elevation Certificates in that area.

If you can't reach your local floodplain manager, you can call the floodplain management office in your state. The state floodplain manager is the National Flood Insurance Program, state coordinator. Your state coordinator can be found here.

Inquire with the vendors. When purchasing a home, request an Elevation Certificate from the seller. Ask if they can offer an EC before settlement if they don't have one. Inquire with the developer or builder. The developer or builder may have been forced to get an Elevation Certification at the time of construction in a high-risk location.

Examine the deed to the property. Elevation certificates are frequently included with property deeds.

Advantages of Having An Elevation Certificate 
An updated elevation certificate for your house may allow you to save money on your insurance premiums. FEMA performs annual studies to assess flood danger data. However, they are limited in the number of topics they can revisit over the year. 

This could indicate a shift in the flood plain. By acquiring an elevation certificate, you may be able to show the insurance company that the base elevation has changed, and your premiums may be decreased as a result.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tries to update elevation maps once a year. However, this does not always happen. You will have a significant advantage in insurance rate savings when it happens.

Conclusion
A surveyor may often reduce or eliminate your insurance premiums by checking to see whether FEMA has modified the floodplain in your area and generating a new elevation certificate.

At Family Auto Insurance Agency, we put our clients first by offering them policies that they can afford. Having insurance is a necessity nowadays, and we're here to help you out. Learn more about our products and services by calling our agency at (313) 285-9042. You can also request a free quote by CLICKING HERE. Topics and coverage discussed in this article are not guaranteed, consult with your agents to determine what your policy does and does not cover. We are more than happy to help!