If you live in a flood-prone area, you might already be familiar with flood elevation certificates. Developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), this document is crucial for determining the flood risk of your property. An elevation certificate (EC) includes the location, lowest floor elevation, and other information. It is most commonly used to determine flood insurance rates and assess property values.
In some cases, lenders require homebuyers to obtain a flood elevation certificate as part of the process. Professional land surveyors are qualified to collect elevation data and prepare the certificate for you. Let’s discuss how to ensure the validity of flood elevation certificates.
Is an Elevation Certificate a Type of Land Survey?
While both flood elevation certificates and land surveys can be done by a state-licensed surveyor, they are not the same. An EC isn’t a form of land survey in the sense that it doesn’t provide information about boundary lines. This legal document focuses primarily on the following:
- Location and Flood Zone
- Building Characteristics
- Previous Features or Improvements
- Lowest Floor Elevation
Since it’s used to calculate the flood risk of a property, the elevation certificate data should be verified and validated. If the EC is deemed erroneous, you might be vulnerable to significant flood damage. Your land surveyor must follow the best practices for quality control and verification of the data.
How To Avoid Errors in Elevation Certificate Data
Fill Out the Standardized Form
When getting an elevation certificate, your land surveyor needs to use a form that includes information about the property’s elevation. Filling out the standardized form helps ensure consistency and accuracy in elevation certificate data. The new elevation certificate form and filing instructions can be found and downloaded on FEMA’s official website.
Verify the Sources of Elevation Data
To ensure the validity of the elevation certificate, it’s imperative to use data from reliable sources. Some of the most commonly used data sources include:
- FEMA Flood Maps
- Old Records
- Benchmarks
- Official Survey Data
- Data from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
- Global Positioning System (GPS)
A licensed land surveyor is trained to evaluate the available data sources and ensure they are up to date and consistent. These data sources should be included and referenced on the elevation certificate form.
Check for Errors and Inconsistencies
Before submitting the form, your land surveyor should review and confirm that there are no errors. All the property information, elevation data, and photographs must be free from any discrepancies. If you find any errors, the surveyor is required to correct the mistakes in order to comply with the FEMA guidelines and requirements.
Utilize Software and Tools for Validation
Modern technology is great as long as it is used properly. Verifying elevation certificates can be daunting, but there are existing tools to help you save time and resources. Some of the available software options are the following:
- FEMA’s Elevation Certificate (EC) Tool
- Forerunner
- GeoMetrx
- MassiveCert
These tools can help you assess your flood risk, verify the base flood elevation, and create detailed maps. They can also generate reports and manage your elevation certificate data. Before utilizing any software, make sure you research and compare your options. This will help you choose the tool that best suits your needs.
Hire a Reliable Professional Surveyor
A lot of scams are going around in the surveying industry. You might fall victim to scams like bait and switch, overcharging, and inaccurate survey results. Before hiring a land surveyor, look at their experience and credentials. The best way to avoid errors in elevation certificates is to work with a licensed professional.
To hire a legitimate surveyor, you can verify if they have a valid license from the state licensing board. It’s also good practice to look up reviews and get references from their previous clients. With the help of a land surveyor, you can avoid inaccurate flood risk assessments and potential legal issues in the future.
Schedule Your Land Survey Today
At Pittsburgh Land Surveyors, we have the knowledge and tools necessary to provide accurate flood elevation data. From boundary surveys to construction surveys and everything in between, we will go above and beyond to exceed your expectations. You can trust us to deliver results that meet your needs and exceed your expectations. Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive land surveys!
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