Skip to content

Flood Elevation Certificate Survey

Properties can become damaged and decline in their condition for a myriad of reasons. Often, properties begin to fail because the owner is neglectful of maintenance or repair requirements, but there are also situations that are not under the control of the owner. Natural disasters immediately come to mind, and in certain areas, the most prominent risk that you’ll need to deal with is flooding. For any new construction, or property purchase, the risks associated with flooding should be at the forefront of your mind. A flood elevation certificate survey is one of the property survey products that you’ll require to press ahead with a property construction or purchase – and it’s something that we can help you with at Susquehanna Surveying and Mapping. To discover some more information about what a flood elevation certificate survey is, and why you need one, all you have to do is read on. For additional queries or questions, our customer service team is standing at the ready.

What is a Flood Elevation Certificate Survey?

Let’s get into the heart of this situation – what exactly is a flood elevation certificate survey? In basic terms, this is a type of land survey that ultimately determines a property’s lowest point of elevation. The survey essentially points out whether or not the property is going to fall in a flood zone, identifying the precise location of the site, and determining the risks involved with the location. Once the survey is completed by a land surveyor from our team, they’ll issue a flood elevation certificate that you can use to deal with the relevant parties and stakeholders.

Do You Require a Survey?

Many people do not know whether or not they even require a flood elevation certificate survey – and it’s a fair query. The fact is that if you live in a moderate or low risk area for flooding, you don’t require a flood elevation certificate survey. If you live in a high risk area, you’re going to need one – barring a few exceptions. In high risk areas, a certificate is needed to attain flood insurance, and there are even specific situations where other parties involved in a property transaction might require it.

Mortgage Considerations

One of the parties who will be interested in acquiring your flood elevation certificate is a mortgage lender. Ultimately, they need to feel sure that the property they’re lending you money for isn’t going to be destroyed by a flood – since that would be they have no collateral, should you fail to pay back the loan. A lack of a certificate could muddle any attempt to secure financial backing.

Saving You Money

Sometimes, people feel frustrated at having to pay for a flood elevation certificate survey, but logically, this doesn’t add up. It becomes very clear that the amount that you spend on a certificate survey is going to be covered by the amount you’ll save in reduced insurance costs. Should a flood actually hit your property, you’ll be very glad that you decided to take these proactive measures.

man standing near the laser level
Get in Touch - #243344