Land Surveying
Elevation Certificates
Surveyed flood elevations on FEMA's form, signed and sealed, for your floodplain permit, insurance rating, or Letter of Map Amendment.
What is an elevation certificate?
An Elevation Certificate is a FEMA form that records a building's flood zone and key elevations, including the lowest floor, lowest machinery and equipment, and adjacent ground, for comparison with the base flood elevation (BFE).
Often called an EC, FEMA elevation certificate, or flood elevation certificate, it has three uses: showing a building meets the local floodplain ordinance, rating National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage, and supporting a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) request to FEMA. The BFE is the flood height with a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded each year.
An ALTA/NSPS land title survey can note the flood zone, but only by plotting it from the map, without the floor and grade elevations an EC certifies.
Deliverables
What's included in an elevation certificate
Scope is set for each building in the proposal. A finished-construction EC typically includes:
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Completed EC form
FEMA's current form, FF-206-FY-22-152 as of September 2026, with elevations signed and sealed in Section D.
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Floor & equipment
Bottom and next higher floors, garage slab, lowest equipment, and on elevated coastal buildings, the lowest horizontal structural member.
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Adjacent grades
Lowest and highest adjacent grade at the building, plus grade at attached decks or stairs.
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Flood map data
Community number, Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panel, flood zone, and the BFE with its source.
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Benchmark & datum
The benchmark used and its vertical datum, with any conversion to the BFE's datum shown.
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Building photographs
At least two color photos, and four when possible, one per side, showing the foundation and flood openings.
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Diagram & flood openings
Building diagram, crawlspace or enclosure area, and permanent flood openings counted and measured.
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LOMA-ready elevations
On request, surveyed lowest adjacent grade or lowest lot elevation, signed and sealed, to support a LOMA.
When do you need an elevation certificate?
Most requests come from a floodplain office, an insurance agent, a lender, or an owner seeking a FEMA map change.
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New buildings in a flood zone
Floodplain permits record the lowest floor; set pad and floor heights early on the grading plan.
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Substantial improvements and additions
Work costing 50 percent or more of pre-improvement market value is treated as new construction.
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Rating a flood insurance policy
Under Risk Rating 2.0 an EC is optional for NFIP flood insurance but may lower the rate.
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Asking FEMA to amend the flood map
Surveyed grades support a LOMA, or a LOMR-F for filled ground; part-lot requests need a legal description.
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Planning a site near a floodplain
A topographic survey compared with the BFE guides pad heights, fill, and building placement early.
Process
How an elevation certificate is prepared
Five steps from first call to sealed certificate.
Confirm purpose and stage
We confirm who is asking for the certificate and whether elevations reflect construction drawings, a building under construction, or finished construction.
Research the flood map
The effective FIRM panel, flood zone, BFE, and map datum come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or the local floodplain administrator.
Tie to a benchmark
Elevations are tied to an identified benchmark or a GNSS (satellite positioning) network solution on the BFE's vertical datum.
Measure the building
Crews measure floors, equipment, adjacent grades, and flood openings, and photograph each side. Crawlspaces and basements may need interior access.
Certify and deliver
The licensee in responsible charge signs and seals Section D. Copies go to the owner, insurance agent, and community official.
California rules
California requirements for elevation certificates
Federal flood rules, state licensing law, and the building code all apply:
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Bus. & Prof. Code §8726, §6731.1
Sealed by a licensed surveyor or civil engineer
The surveyed elevations on an Elevation Certificate must be signed and sealed by a professional authorized by state law to certify elevation information. In California, elevation surveys are land surveying (§8726), and licensed civil engineers may also perform them (§6731.1).
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44 CFR §60.3(b)(5), (c)(2), (e)(2)
Floodplain permits record the lowest floor
NFIP communities must record the lowest-floor elevation of new and substantially improved buildings where BFE data are used (in V Zones, the bottom of the lowest structural member), and require such homes in Zones A1–30, AE and AH to have the lowest floor, including any basement, at or above the BFE.
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2025 CRC §R306.2.1, §R306.3.2
California homes: one foot above the BFE
The 2025 California Residential Code requires at least the BFE plus 1 foot, measured at the lowest floor in A Zones and at the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member in V and Coastal A Zones. AO Zones use the FIRM depth plus 1 foot above the highest adjacent grade (3 feet if no depth is shown).
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FEMA EC form, Items A6, C1
A finished-construction certificate follows
A certificate based on construction drawings or a building under construction must be followed by a post-construction EC. "Finished Construction" requires installed machinery and equipment and completed grading, with photos taken within 90 days of the certifier's signature.
Requirements vary by city and county. Your agency decides which certificate stages a permit needs, whether a project is a substantial improvement, and whether more freeboard (added height above the BFE) applies.
Sources & references
- NFIP Elevation Certificate and Instructions, FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152 (2022 edition) (FEMA)
- 44 CFR §60.3, Flood plain management criteria for flood-prone areas (eCFR)
- Business and Professions Code §8726, practice of land surveying (California Legislative Information)
- Letter of Map Amendment and Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill process (FEMA)
- Elevation Certificate: FAQ, October 2023 (FEMA)
Last reviewed .
Elevation certificate FAQs
Do I need an Elevation Certificate to buy flood insurance?
An Elevation Certificate is optional for NFIP flood insurance under Risk Rating 2.0 but may lower the rate. FEMA compares a submitted certificate with its own data and gives the policyholder the lower premium. Ask your insurance agent whether one is likely to help before ordering it for rating alone.
Can an Elevation Certificate take my property out of a flood zone?
An Elevation Certificate records elevations but does not change the flood map. Only a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) from FEMA can remove the federal requirement for a lender to require flood insurance, and the lender may still require it. A LOMA for a building needs its lowest adjacent grade at or above the BFE.
Who can prepare an Elevation Certificate in California?
An Elevation Certificate's surveyed elevations must be signed and sealed by a professional authorized by state law: in California, a licensed land surveyor or civil engineer (Business and Professions Code §8726, §6731.1). Owners, their representatives, or local officials may complete Sections A and B. In Zone AO or Zone A without a BFE, they may also complete Section E, unless the certificate supports a map change request. In any zone, they may complete Section H, used only for insurance rating, without a survey.
Does an Elevation Certificate expire?
A completed Elevation Certificate does not expire unless a physical change to the building invalidates the information on the certificate. A new flood map alone does not require a new one; a substantial improvement does. The June 30, 2026 date printed on FEMA's 2022 form is the blank form's approval expiration; FEMA still posts that form as of September 2026.
Is there already an Elevation Certificate for my building?
An existing Elevation Certificate may be on file with the city or county floodplain administrator, because communities in the National Flood Insurance Program must keep elevation records for new and substantially improved buildings. The seller, builder, or previous owner may also have a copy.
What affects the cost and schedule of an Elevation Certificate?
The cost and schedule of an Elevation Certificate depend on the number of buildings (each needs its own certificate), distance to a usable benchmark, interior and crawlspace access, the construction stage, and whether LOMA elevations are included. Share the address, who is asking for the certificate, and any prior EC or FEMA letter; the proposal then sets scope and timing.