Homeowners
who are buying, remodeling, or re-financing a home designated in a floodplain,
will be faced with purchasing flood insurance unless they can provide
documentation that the first floor of the house is 3’ above the BFE. We have provided a link for you to obtain an
estimate range for flood insurance costs.
Since flood insurance can cost upwards of $1000 per year, this can be a
significant cost impact.
If
you feel your house has been incorrectly included in the floodplain
designation, you have the option of filing a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA)
request with FEMA. To exclude your whole
lot, documentation will need to show that the lowest point on your lot is above
the BFE. To exclude your structure, the
lowest point of adjacent grade to your structure must be above the BFE. Additionally, the first floor living space
must be a minimum of 3’ higher than the BFE.
You will need a surveyor, engineer, or architect to measure
your lot elevations and fill out the appropriate forms for submittal to FEMA. We can do this work, and the findings may
save you from having to take out flood insurance.
