A flood elevation certificate (EC) is a document needed to verify your property’s elevation relative to the estimated height floodwaters could reach in the event of a major flood (especially in high-risk zones). In addition, ECs are used by the NFIP (and some private flood insurance carriers) to provide elevation information necessary to:
For certain constructions in a high-risk flood zone or if your flood zone has recently changed, an elevation certificate may be required if your flood insurance policy is written through a federally regulated insurance lender such as the NFIP. This is because in high-risk flood zones, there is at least a one in four chance a flood could occur during a 30-year mortgage. Private insurers, however, do not always require ECs – even in high-risk flood zones.
Flood EC’s are not required and are not used for flood zone rating in moderate- to low-risk areas (Zones B, C and X), undetermined risk areas (Zone D), or certain high-risk areas eligible for other subsidies (e.g., Zones AR and A99).
If you need assistance in determining your property’s flood zone and identifying possible lower flood insurance rates based on recent map changes, Florida Flood Insurance can easily help you.
