What Is an Elevation Certificate and How Does It Affect Flood Insurance?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ranks floods as the most common and costly type of U.S. disaster. If you live in a high-risk flood area, you may need flood insurance since standard home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage.1

An elevation certificate (EC) documents the elevation of your home’s lowest floor, including the basement. Insurers compare that elevation to an estimated baseline flood height in your area to decide your risk level and determine your rates.2

Here’s what you need to know about elevation certificates, as well as comparing home insurance quotes to find the best policy for your needs.

What is a flood elevation certificate?

A flood elevation certificate is an official six-page document that measures your property’s flood risk according to FEMA.

It assesses the following information about your home:

• Address and property description

• Geographic coordinates

• Size of basement, crawl spaces, or foundation enclosure and its number of openings

• Size of garage and its number and type of flood openings

• Height of other floors, decks, and stairs

• Grade height of land next to your home

Information on an elevation certificate

An elevation certificate provides home insurance companies with detailed information about your property’s elevation compared to its floodplain. The data includes your home’s location, its lowest elevation — compared to the base flood elevation (BFE) for your community — your flood zone, and building characteristics.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) no longer requires an elevation certificate for risk assessment. But having an EC helps insurers accurately evaluate your property’s flood risk to determine your rates. Without an elevation certificate, a flood insurance company may use general data to gauge your flood risk instead, which could affect what you pay for flood insurance.

When you might need an elevation certificate

As of October 2021, you can buy flood insurance from NFIP without an elevation certificate since the NFIP now uses a new rating system called Risk Rating 2.0 for its federal flood insurance policies. But you might still need an elevation certificate in certain circumstances, including:

• You live in a high-risk flood zone. An elevation certificate may help you score a cheaper flood insurance premium.

• You made substantial improvements to your home. A renovation that alters the lowest elevation of your property, such as a basement remodel or home addition, may require an elevation certificate.

• Your property is in an historic floodplain. Properties located in areas that have been flooded several times in a 100-year period could benefit from an elevation certificate.

• Your mortgage lender or financial institution requires it. A home loan from the federal government may require a flood certification from a professional land surveyor — especially if you’re in a location prone to flooding.

Elevation certificates and flood insurance

An elevation certificate can play a significant role in your home insurance costs. It documents your home’s elevation and how it compares to your community’s base flood elevation (BFE). FEMA provides BFE data, and it represents the expected height of floodwaters during a 100-year flood.

The higher your lowest floor is above the BFE, the lower your flood risk and the cheaper your flood insurance rates. On the flip side, if your lowest floor is much lower than the BFE, your flood risk goes up and potentially your flood insurance premium too.

How to get a flood elevation certificate

Here are several ways to obtain an elevation certificate for your property:

How to read an elevation certificate

Understanding a FEMA elevation certificate can sometimes be tricky. Here’s a look at the four sections the form contains and what each one means.

Section A: Property information

Section A, which you can complete as the property owner, includes general information about your home. It describes the type of property you live in and outlines the number of permanent flood openings in your home’s various parts, including the garage. Section A requires at least two photographs of your property.

Section B: Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) information

Section B features important past flood information compiled by FEMA. It includes a flood map, your property’s flood zone, and the base flood elevation, or BFE. Homeowners can complete Section B.

Section C: Building elevation information

Section C shows the elevation of the lowest floor of your property, which may be your first floor or basement. A home insurer will compare this figure to the BFE to determine your property’s flood risk and calculate your insurance premiums for a flood policy. A licensed land surveyor, architect, or engineer must fill out Section C.

Section D: Official certification

Section D requires a professional — like a licensed surveyor, architect, or engineer — to state their qualifications and information, such as their name and license number. They must include a seal and signature to certify the elevation certificate as an official record.

Elevation certificate FAQs