If your property is located in a high flooding risk area, you’ll need to obtain an elevation certificate from FEMA before buying flood insurance. Without an elevation certificate, you may not get flood insurance for your property.

Knowing your property’s elevation point from the estimated flood water height helps you determine whether you’re at the risk of flood or not. The certificate informs you about your property’s elevation compared to the base flood elevation. Typically, buildings constructed at the base flood level have a 1% chance of being affected by floods each year.

Determining the difference in elevations also helps you estimate how much you’ll have to pay for your flood insurance policy. Elevation Certificates also mention actions that help lower flood risks by displaying the building’s location, lowest floor elevation, features, and flood zone.

Whenever you make a noticeable change to your property, you’ll have to obtain a new elevation certificate from FEMA. These could be rebuilding the pavement, transforming the garage into an outdoor area, or simply that can change your point’s lowest elevation point.