FEMA form documenting a building's location, characteristics, and elevations for flood insurance, mapping, and floodplain review.
An Elevation Certificate is a FEMA form that documents a building’s location, construction characteristics, flood zone, and surveyed elevations for flood insurance, mapping, and floodplain-management purposes.
The certificate creates a standardized record for comparing the building with the mapped Base Flood Elevation and surrounding grade. It can support flood insurance rating, local compliance work, and a Letter of Map Amendment request.
The document is evidence, not a decision. It does not itself remove a building from an SFHA, waive a lender requirement, guarantee an insurance premium, or certify that the property will not flood.
An insurer, lender, local floodplain official, appraiser, surveyor, or FEMA map-change process may request the certificate. It becomes especially relevant for buildings in or near an SFHA, newly constructed properties, substantial improvements, and boundary disputes.
The owner may find an existing certificate in municipal records, prior closing files, association documents, or seller disclosures. The lender or insurer decides whether an older form contains current and sufficient information for the intended use.
| Section | Examples of documented facts |
|---|---|
| Property identification | Address, legal description, coordinates, and building use |
| Map information | Community, map panel, effective date, flood zone, and BFE |
| Building characteristics | Diagram type, foundation, enclosure, openings, and attached features |
| Surveyed elevations | Lowest floor, machinery or equipment, adjacent grades, and other required measurements |
| Certification | Qualified professional or authorized official attestation, depending on the section and purpose |
The correct fields depend on the flood zone, construction status, and reason the certificate is being prepared.
The form can describe construction drawings, a building under construction, or finished construction. A certificate based on plans or incomplete work may need to be replaced after the building is complete.
Borrowers purchasing new construction should confirm that the document matches the completed building, not only the planned elevations.
A lender’s determination places a house near the Zone AE boundary inside the SFHA. A licensed surveyor prepares an elevation certificate showing the building footprint, natural grade, relevant floor elevations, map panel, and BFE. The owner submits the certificate with a FEMA LOMA request. The certificate supports the application, but FEMA’s issued letter determines whether the map treatment changes.
A Property Survey addresses boundaries, improvements, easements, and other land evidence. An elevation certificate focuses on flood-related building and elevation data, although a surveyor may prepare both.
BFE is the modeled flood elevation. The certificate documents actual site and building elevations for comparison.
A flood determination records the lender’s map-location result. The certificate can provide supporting evidence when that result is questioned.
A LOMA is FEMA’s official determination. The elevation certificate is evidence that may support the request.