Building and Site Elevations
Eagle's field crew collects the structure and grade information required for the applicable building configuration and certificate.
Surveying Services / Floodplain Documentation
Elevation Certificate
FEMA FLOODPLAIN ELEVATION DOCUMENTATION.A FEMA Elevation Certificate documents a building's elevations and site information relative to mapped flood-hazard data for floodplain administration, permitting, insurance review, and certain FEMA map-change applications.
Typical Certificate Information
Flood ZoneApplicable mapped flood-hazard information.
Base Flood ElevationDocumented where established for the applicable location.
Building ElevationsLowest-floor and other required structure elevations.
Adjacent GradeLowest and highest adjacent grade measurements.
Enclosures & OpeningsRequired enclosure, crawlspace, garage, and opening information.
Equipment ElevationLowest machinery or equipment serving the structure, when required.
FEMA Elevation Certificate
Measured Building Elevations Tied to Mapped Flood Information.
A FEMA Elevation Certificate is a standardized form completed using field measurements and applicable flood-map information to document a building's elevation relative to the mapped flood zone and Base Flood Elevation, where established.
The certificate may include the building's lowest-floor elevation, lowest adjacent grade, highest adjacent grade, enclosure information, garage elevation, benchmark data, flood zone, Base Flood Elevation, and other information required by the current FEMA form.
Mapped Flood-Hazard Data
The completed certificate combines measured elevations with the applicable flood-zone and Base Flood Elevation information, where established.
The Form
What does an Elevation Certificate look like?
The certificate is a FEMA form — currently FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152 — and the same form is used nationwide. Eagle completes the property, flood-map, and elevation sections from record information and field measurements, and a Texas licensed land surveyor signs and seals the certification. The two pages below are from the blank FEMA form.
The Flood Maps
Where the flood zone on the certificate comes from.
Section B of the certificate is completed from the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map — the FIRM. FEMA publishes the FIRM, Eagle pulls the applicable panel as part of preparing the certificate, and anyone can look up the effective map for an address through FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
Look up the FIRM for your property at FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center ↗
Common Uses
Where Elevation Certificates Fit in Floodplain and Property Review.
Floodplain administrators, insurance professionals, lenders, owners, and other parties use Elevation Certificate information for permitting, construction review, insurance rating, and evaluation of a property's mapped flood status.
Floodplain permitting
New construction in mapped flood-hazard areas
Substantial improvements to existing buildings
Post-construction floodplain documentation
Flood-insurance rating and review
FEMA Letter of Map Amendment applications
FEMA Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill applications
Lender, owner, or municipal documentation
What the Certificate Does and Does Not Do
It Documents Elevations. It Does Not Make the Flood Determination.
An Elevation Certificate may also provide supporting data for a Letter of Map Amendment or Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill application.
An Elevation Certificate does not by itself change a FEMA flood map, insurance premium, or lender requirement. Those determinations are made by FEMA, the community floodplain administrator, the insurer, or the lender, as applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elevation Certificate FAQs
An Elevation Certificate is a FEMA form completed by a licensed land surveyor that documents a structure’s elevations in relation to the mapped flood zone and Base Flood Elevation, where established. It may be used for floodplain development permitting, flood-insurance rating, lender review, and supporting documentation for certain FEMA map-change applications. An Elevation Certificate does not by itself change a FEMA flood map, insurance premium, or lender requirement. Elevation Certificates apply to commercial buildings as well as residential structures whenever a property’s flood zone status affects insurance or permitting.
The field elevation survey depends on the structure and the current FEMA form. Measurements may include lowest-floor elevations, lowest and highest adjacent grade, attached-garage elevation, enclosure or crawlspace information, flood-opening dimensions, the lowest machinery or equipment serving the structure, deck or stair elevations, and other building measurements required for the applicable diagram and certificate.
Eagle provides FEMA Elevation Certificate and elevation survey services throughout Texas. Our Denton office supports the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and North Texas, our Waco office supports Central Texas, and Eagle travels statewide when a commercial property, development, or other structure requires floodplain elevation documentation from a licensed Texas land surveyor.
Need a FEMA Elevation Certificate?
Send the property address, reason the certificate is being requested, any floodplain or permitting information you have, available building plans or prior certificates, the requesting party's requirements, and your schedule. Eagle will review the request and confirm the field and certificate scope.
Property AddressReason for CertificateFlood / Permit InformationPlans or Prior ECRequesting PartyRequested Schedule