Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Elevation Certificate?
What are the main purposes of an Elevation Certificate?
Why do I need an Elevation Certificate?
Who can prepare an Elevation Certificate?
What is a benchmark?
Who establishes the benchmark elevation levels?

1. What is an Elevation Certificate?

An Elevation Certificate is an official form of the National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA Form 81-31) created to compare a property's elevation data (determined by field measurement) to the Base Flood Elevation data. It provides elevation information for compliance with floodplain management ordinances, setting insurance premium rates, and supporting map change requests, namely the Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) and the Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F).

2. What are the purposes of an Elevation Certificate?

An Elevation Certificate has three purposes:

to complywith local community ordinance
to accurately rate flood insurance
to support a Letter of Map Amendment or Revision application

3. Why do I need an Elevation Certificate?

An Elevation Certificate is required to obtain a National Flood Insurance Program policy on all Post-FIRM construction, but is optional on Pre-FIRM construction. The Elevation Certificate is required by the NFIP to certify the lowest floor of a building so the policy can be properly rated.

4. Who can prepare an Elevation Certificate?

Elevation Certificates must be prepared and certified by a land surveyor, engineer, or architect who is authorized by commonwealth, state, or local law to certify elevation information. Community officials who are authorized by local law or ordinance to provide floodplain management information may also sign the certificate. Elevations must be certified by a licensed engineer or surveyor if the Elevation Certificate is intended to support an application for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F).

5. What is a benchmark?

A benchmark is a point on the earth's surface that has had its elevation above sea level measured. This point is permanently marked, usually with a metal disk, but it can also be any object that serves as an elevation reference point-anything from a large rock to a rusting iron rod.

Sometimes benchmarks are easy for a surveyor to find. In fact, you've probably walked over one in a busy town square. But many times, benchmarks can be tricky to find, so much so that benchmark hunting is a hobby for some of the more adventurous. It's not uncommon for a rural benchmark to be located several miles away from the nearest road, and only accessible via a long hike through thick woods. In comparison, the more frequently used benchmarks in metropolitan areas are easier to find, although the surveyor may still need a shovel to dig them out.

6. Who establishes the benchmark elevation levels?

A benchmark is a permanent marker established by any federal, state, or local agency, whose elevation and description are well documented and referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) or the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). The height of a benchmark is calculated relative to the heights of nearby benchmarks in a network extending to a fundamental benchmark, typically a point designated as the mean sea level.

The North American Datum is established by the National Geodetic Survey, our nation's first civilian scientific agency established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, which was originally called the Survey of the Coast. Its mission soon included surveys of the interior as the nation grew westward. As additional missions, such as marine charting, were assigned to the agency, reorganization and a new name was established in 1878. The agency became known as the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and maintained that name until 1970.

In 1970, reorganization created the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Ocean Service (NOS) was created as a line office of NOAA. To acknowledge the geodetic portion of NOAA mission, the part of NOS responsible for geodetic functions was named the National Geodetic Survey.