FEMA Elevation Certifications and LOMA’s
FEMA Maps (Not Alway Accurate)
If your parcel is located in an area near a lake or river, your lender may require you to purchase flood insurance to protect their loan. A lender will examine the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps to determine whether or not your parcel falls in a flood zone. If the parcel falls within a mapped flood zone area, the lender may require flood insurance. Since FEMA maps are only for general purposes, the lender may order an Elevation Certificate or Letter Of Map Amendment (LOMA) in order to know for sure if the structure is indeed in the flood zone. It is not uncommon to find a home shown in a floodplain on a FEMA map actually be above the floodplain as the result of a professional survey. Many have paid flood insurance unnecessarily because they have never verified the FEMA mapping for their home!
Getting an Updated Elevation Cert.
A lender will typically order an Elevation Certificate when a parcel is located in a flood zone according to published FEMA maps. The elevation certificate will determine to what extent the structure is in the floodplain, and helps the insurance provider determine the amount of flood insurance premium required. The certificate can also help to determine if the property may be able to be removed from the flood zone by using the LOMA form.
Submitting the LOMA Form
A LOMA is typically ordered if it is uncertain if a home lies within a flood zone. A home or structure shown to lie inside the flood zone area according to FEMA mapping, may be proved to be above the 100 year elevation upon a field survey. When this is the case, a professional surveyor fills out a LOMA form with results from the field survey, certifying that the structure is not in the floodplain. This form can then be submitted to FEMA for the removal of that structure from the “flood zone” designation. Once this form is approved by FEMA, flood insurance is no longer necessary, and FEMA amends their maps to record the results of the LOMA.
Roosien & Associates Can Help
The Roosien & Associates survey team is experienced with the completion of many LOMA’s and Certificates, and staff are trained with the latest techniques from FEMA sponsored seminars. Give our staff a call, and we can discuss your property with you, and give you a same-day quote for services.
