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Why Is My Insurance Agent Asking Me for an Elevation Certificate?
Two possible reasons for your agent to request an elevation certificate:
First, they are trying to get you the best rate and know they can’t do that without an elevation certificate to show how high above or below the flood level your home is.
In the past, many insurance underwriters charged high fees just for being in the flood zone because Congress was paying the bill for much of the flood insurance across the country. It was brought to Congress’s attention that a home that was 1 inch below the flood level was being charged the same rate as one that was 5 feet below the flood level.
So, in 2012, Congress passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, which among other things, requires that insurance companies obtain an elevation certificate prior to providing even a quote on flood insurance for all government-backed loans. This was to check and prove they are not overcharging.
Second, you are refinancing your home or getting a loan that is government-backed like a GI Loan or HUD, which requires that the insurance agent has an elevation certificate prior to quoting any rates (for the reasons stated above). Any questions feel free to email us or If you're ready to place your order, visit our Pricing page and purchase the items needed for your area.

What is a LOMA and why whould I want one for my home?

The Number one (1) answer is … FREEDOM. You want the Freedom to either have flood insurance or not.Some people choose to pay off their mortgage rather than keep paying high insurance premiums. Great idea, as it allows them to not carry any flood insurance, but it's not Complete Freedom. If they ever want to have that added security (like during El Nino) it will costs an arm and a leg. For a fraction of the cost now they could get a LOMA and at any time buy that security insurance for 1/3 the price. That’s FREEDOM !! 2nd best answer is Saving Money. Who doesn't want to do that...right? With a LOMA you are guaranteed the best Flood Rate Possible and/or may not even need to buy any at all. Now that's a biggest savings.3rd answer is Selling a home that is in the flood zone also creates a hassle for the buyer and possible failure to qualify for a loan once the Insurance Rate is quoted. So getting a LOMA now can help you or your loved ones when it comes time to sell.
Any questions feel free to email us or If you're ready to place your order, visit our Pricing page and purchase the items needed for your area.

Why does FEMA need a Water Flow Topographic Map?

First, off a Water Flow Topographic Map is a very simple map that shows the actual elevations around the home/structure.  This allows FEMA to see if water will drain/flow away from the home or into the home.  This is not needed to complete a LOMA for Zone AE, AH or V, but is required for Zones A and AO.  See Example to the right.Why? In Zone “AO” and “A” not enough information is provided in the Elevation Certificate alone. Zone “AO” is a "Puddling" zone or area where water will gather turning it into a lake. On the FEMA Maps under the Zone “AO” will be a number declaring how deep it will flood (usually 1-foot depth, 2 feet or 3 feet) So what FEMA wants to see is how high is the home/structure from the Top of Curb in the front street. If the structure is 1, 2, or 3 feet higher and we can show this on our map then FEMA will issue the LOMA. Zone “A” is FEMA’s catch-all. FEMA thinks there is a problem but has not spent the money to KNOW and so they want the Local Agencies to spend their own money to do the study and submit it to FEMA for their final say. Unfortunately, Not all Local Agencies are allocating their money to such a study so homeowners in these areas are usually hit with the highest rates because Insurance Underwriters always fear the worst or charge the most whenever they can…right. But don’t fear, not always is this area a can’t get out of the zone. Many times FEMA has some information and if a Surveyor submits for a LOMA they will tell them what they do know and possibly get you out. Most of the time Zone “A” is treated like Zone “AO” and so will need the Water Flow Topographic Map to show how high the structure is above the Curb. 
Any questions feel free to email us or If you're ready to place your order, visit our Pricing page and purchase the items needed for your area.

How to Bury your premiums in your crawlspaces?

Yes; most people can quite literally bury some of their flood insurance premiums in their crawlspace. In 2015, I took a class from FEMA for Surveyors at one of our Land Surveyor Conferences. The instructor covered the usual, but then shared several helpful tips. One of these tips was how to bury the home owner’s premiums in their crawlspace. The secret was simple. See FEMA lets Insurance Underwriters charge premiums based on how far above or below your home is compared to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). If your home is 5 feet below the flood level, you will pay a very high rate, and if your home is within ½ a foot you pay a much smaller amount. To everyone, this makes sense and seems far. The fun/challenge comes with determining what elevation to use for your home. You see, there are two choices if you have a crawlspace. First; If your home is built on foundation walls and you have what’s called a crawlspace then, believe it or not, the lowest ground inside your crawlspace is the Elevation the Underwriter uses to compare your home to the BFE or flood level. This is always bad and results in very high rates. Second; if we can show the Total Square Inches of Vent Space is greater than or equal to the Total Square Feet of Crawlspace under your home. The Insurance Underwriter has to use the Elevation of the Next Higher Floor (in most cases the first floor of your home) to compare with the Base Flood Elevation and not the lowest ground inside the crawlspace. In flooding; Higher is always better. An Example: Just last week I helped a family in Los Angeles (which is what made me think of writing this) who was in Flood Zone AH, with a Base Flood Elevation(BFE) of 138 Feet. Their home was built on foundation walls and they had a number of Vents. The problem was that they did not have enough Vent Space so the Insurance Underwriter had to use the bottom of the Crawlspace (Elevation 135.6 Feet) to compare to the BFE or flood level of 138 feet which meant their home was 2.4 feet under the Flood Level. They got hit with a very high premium. So I told them “How to Bury their Premiums in their Crawlspace”. After explaining this to them I showed them how they could fix one Vent and it would allow the Underwriter to use the actual first Floor of their home (Elevation 138.1 feet). This meant they would pay a premium based on their home being 0.1 feet above the BFE or flood level and NOT 2.4 feet below it. Once the homeowner fixed the vent and sent me new pictures I revised my Elevation Certificate and it was resubmitted to the Underwriters...which saved them hundreds of dollars.   I hope this helps; If you have any questions feel free to email us or If you're ready to place your order, visit our Pricing page and purchase the items needed for your area.