I. NFIP ELEVATION CERTIFICATEElevation Certificate is critical, as it relates to the insured...
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CERT 1 October 1, 2005 SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS This section presents detailed instructions for the completion of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Elevation Certificate and the NFIP Floodproofing Certificates. NOTE: When determining the lowest floor for rating, refer to the Lowest Floor Guide section of this manual. I. NFIP ELEVATION CERTIFICATE The current NFIP Elevation Certificate (EC) became effective on August 1, 1999. Its use became mandatory on October 1, 2000. Since that date, the old EC has not been acceptable for rating policies unless it was completed and certified before October 1, 2000. The current EC and Instructions are reproduced on pages CERT 9-19. Non-NFIP elevation certification forms certified on or after October 1, 2000, do not satisfy NFIP requirements and cannot be used for rating policies. An exception is made to this requirement when the community official completes the old Elevation Certificate with elevation data received by the community before October 1, 2000. It must be noted in the Comments area of Section G of the Elevation Certificate that the community had the data on file before October 1, 2000. Elevation Certificates are required on Post-FIRM construction, but are optional on Pre-FIRM construction. The Elevation Certificate is required by the NFIP to certify the lowest floor of a building so the policy can be properly rated, as follows (also see pages LFG 1-2): All Post-FIRM structures The Elevation Certificate is to be completed by a land surveyor, engineer, or architect who is authorized by state or local law to certify elevation information when it is required for Zones A1-A30, AE, AH, A (with Base Flood Elevations [BFEs]), V1-V30, VE, and V (with BFEs). Community officials who are authorized by local law or ordinance to provide floodplain management information may also complete this form. For Zones AO and A (without BFEs), a building official, a property owner, or an owner’s representative may also provide the information on this certification. Building elevation information may be available through the community official if the community is a CRS participating community. The lowest adjacent grade and diagram number are required for all new business applications effective on or after October 1, 1997, if the elevation certification date is on or after October 1, 1997. Pre-FIRM structures rated under Post-FIRM rates Pre-FIRM construction can be elevation rated using the Post-FIRM Elevation Certificate rates, which are more favorable rates if the lowest floor of the building is at or above the BFE for the community. In most cases, the lowest floor level of a Pre-FIRM building is below the BFE, and it would not benefit the insured to pay the cost for an Elevation Certificate in an attempt to secure a lower rate. The decision to obtain an Elevation Certificate and to request Post-FIRM rating of a Pre-FIRM building is an option of the insured. AR and AR Dual Zones Elevation Certificates are optional on all Post- and Pre-FIRM construction located in AR and AR dual zones. The decision to obtain an Elevation Certificate and to request Post- FIRM rating is at the discretion of the insured. The new Elevation Certificate includes the AR and AR dual zone elevation requirements. Detailed instructions for completion are included on the Elevation Certificate. The producer is to attach the original of the completed Elevation Certificate to the Application. A photocopy is to be forwarded to the policyholder and a copy is retained by the producer. II. USING THE ELEVATION CERTIFICATE: SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS Section A – Property Owner Information Section A of the EC includes the building use. This information is helpful in validating the data collected by the insurance agent, and the Flood Insurance Application information.
Transcript of I. NFIP ELEVATION CERTIFICATEElevation Certificate is critical, as it relates to the insured...
CERT 1 October 1, 2005
SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS
This section presents detailed instructions for thecompletion of the National Flood InsuranceProgram (NFIP) Elevation Certificate and theNFIP Floodproofing Certificates.
NOTE: When determining the lowest floor forrating, refer to the Lowest Floor Guidesection of this manual.
I. NFIP ELEVATION CERTIFICATE
The current NFIP Elevation Certificate (EC)became effective on August 1, 1999. Its usebecame mandatory on October 1, 2000. Sincethat date, the old EC has not been acceptablefor rating policies unless it was completed andcertified before October 1, 2000. The current ECand Instructions are reproduced on pagesCERT 9-19.
Non-NFIP elevation certification forms certifiedon or after October 1, 2000, do not satisfy NFIPrequirements and cannot be used for ratingpolicies.
An exception is made to this requirement whenthe community official completes the oldElevation Certificate with elevation data receivedby the community before October 1, 2000. Itmust be noted in the Comments area of SectionG of the Elevation Certificate that the communityhad the data on file before October 1, 2000.
Elevation Certificates are required on Post-FIRMconstruction, but are optional on Pre-FIRMconstruction. The Elevation Certificate isrequired by the NFIP to certify the lowest floor ofa building so the policy can be properly rated, asfollows (also see pages LFG 1-2):
� All Post-FIRM structures
The Elevation Certificate is to be completedby a land surveyor, engineer, or architect whois authorized by state or local law to certifyelevation information when it is required forZones A1-A30, AE, AH, A (with Base FloodElevations [BFEs]), V1-V30, VE, and V (withBFEs). Community officials who areauthorized by local law or ordinance toprovide floodplain management informationmay also complete this form. For Zones AOand A (without BFEs), a building official, aproperty owner, or an owner’s representativemay also provide the information on thiscertification. Building elevation information
may be available through the communityofficial if the community is a CRS participatingcommunity. The lowest adjacent grade and diagramnumber are required for all new businessapplications effective on or after October 1,1997, if the elevation certification date is on orafter October 1, 1997.
� Pre-FIRM structures rated under Post-FIRMrates
Pre-FIRM construction can be elevation ratedusing the Post-FIRM Elevation Certificaterates, which are more favorable rates if thelowest floor of the building is at or above theBFE for the community. In most cases, thelowest floor level of a Pre-FIRM building isbelow the BFE, and it would not benefit theinsured to pay the cost for an ElevationCertificate in an attempt to secure a lowerrate. The decision to obtain an ElevationCertificate and to request Post-FIRM rating ofa Pre-FIRM building is an option of theinsured.
� AR and AR Dual Zones
Elevation Certificates are optional on all Post-and Pre-FIRM construction located in AR andAR dual zones. The decision to obtain anElevation Certificate and to request Post-FIRM rating is at the discretion of the insured.The new Elevation Certificate includes the ARand AR dual zone elevation requirements.
Detailed instructions for completion are includedon the Elevation Certificate. The producer is to attach the original of thecompleted Elevation Certificate to theApplication. A photocopy is to be forwarded tothe policyholder and a copy is retained by theproducer.
II. USING THE ELEVATION CERTIFICATE:
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Section A – Property Owner Information
� Section A of the EC includes the buildinguse. This information is helpful in validatingthe data collected by the insurance agent,and the Flood Insurance Applicationinformation.
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� Latitude, longitude, and related informationare requested but are optional.
The information found in Section A of theElevation Certificate is critical, as it relates to theinsured property. Should information be missingfrom Section A of the Elevation Certificate (withthe exception of optional longitude and latituderelated information), the certificate must bereturned to the surveyor, engineer, architect, orcommunity official who executed the form.These individuals should be encouraged to fullycomplete Section A to avoid any delay in theeffective date of the flood insurance policy.
Section B – Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)Information
The Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)information includes the following:
� FIRM panel effective date and revised date;
� Source of the BFE or base flood depth;
NOTE: The same elevation datum shouldbe used in determining allcertification elevations as was usedin determining the BFE (i.e., NGVD1929 or NAVD 1988).
� Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS)area or Otherwise Protected Area (OPA).
NOTE: Refer to the Coastal BarrierResources System section of thismanual for flood insurancecoverage eligibility.
Section C – Building Elevation Information(Survey Required)
Responsibilities for building elevation informationare as follows.
� The surveyor, engineer, or architect isrequired to provide a number of elevationsbased on the building type selected.
� From the elevations gathered, the insuranceagent is required to determine the lowestfloor for rating flood insurance.
As it relates to Section C of the ElevationCertificate, information found not to beapplicable to the property being certified shouldbe marked NA (not applicable) by the surveyor,engineer, or architect. If any part of Section C isleft blank, critically review it and contact thesurveyor, engineer, or architect who completed
the form and your company underwriter with anyquestions.
A parking area located beneath an elevated flooris not considered an attached garage.
Elevation(s) of machinery and equipmentservicing the building (e.g., water heater,furnace, a/c compressor, heat pump, waterpump) must be provided, regardless of itslocation, whether inside or outside of thebuilding, elevated on a platform or non-elevated.
The surveyor, engineer, or architect may not beable to gain access to some crawl spaces toshoot the elevation of the crawl space floor. Inthis instance, Item C3.a may be left blank andthe estimated measurements entered in theComments area of Section D.
Elevations in Section C of the ElevationCertificate are based on feet, except in PuertoRico, where the metric system is used. Theagent must convert any metric elevationreadings into feet before calculating the floodinsurance premium.
Section D – Surveyor, Engineer, or ArchitectCertification
� Includes a comment section for providingadditional information not collected in otherparts of the certificate.
� Validates the insured property address.
Section D is the surveyor’s, engineer’s, orarchitect’s certification that the informationprovided in Sections A, B, and C of the ElevationCertificate is representative of the certifier’s bestefforts to interpret the data available. Thesurveyor’s, engineer’s, or architect’s signatureand identification number are required fields.Some States also may require a seal.
Section E – Building Elevation Information(Survey Not Required) for Zone AO and ZoneA (Without BFE)
Information regarding building type (taken fromthe eight building diagrams), flood zone, and theelevation difference between the lowest floor andthe highest adjacent grade next to the building isrequired.
For Zone A (without a FEMA-issued orcommunity-issued BFE) and Zone AO, aproperty owner or owner’s authorizedrepresentative may complete Sections A, B, andE of the Elevation Certificate.
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Section F – Property Owner (or Owner’sRepresentative) Certification
Address and other contact information about theproperty owner are requested in Section F. Theparty completing Sections A, B, C (Items C3.hand C3.i only), and E must execute Section F aswell.
Section G – Community Information (Optional)
The local official who is authorized by law orordinance to administer the community’sfloodplain management ordinance may transferelevation information found on existingdocumentation (i.e., an older elevationcertification form, or surveyor letterhead) toSection C of the current Elevation Certificate.The local official must then certify thisinformation by fully completing Section G of theElevation Certificate. A statement advisingFEMA of this transfer of information must bemade in the comment section of the currentElevation Certificate. Section G may also beused to certify Item E4. of the ElevationCertificate.
III. FLOODPROOFING CERTIFICATE
A. Purpose and Eligibility
� In certain circumstances, floodproofing maybe permitted as an alternative to elevating toor above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE);however, a floodproofing design certificationis required. Certified floodproofing may resultin lower rates.
� Non-residential buildings in any community,in all locations except in V-Zones, may befloodproofed in lieu of elevating.
� Residential buildings may be floodproofedonly if they have basements, are located inZones A1-A30, AE, AR, AR Dual, AO, andAH, and only if they are located incommunities specifically approved andauthorized by FEMA. A current list ofapproved communities appears on pageCERT 4.
� The allowable methods of floodproofing fornon-residential buildings differ from thoseallowed for residential buildings. The specificrequirements should be available from thelocal government.
B. Specifications
The specifications for floodproofing ensure thatthe building is watertight without humanintervention, its floodproofed walls will notcollapse, and the floor at the base of thefloodproofed walls will resist flotation duringflooding conditions.
C. Rating
In order to be eligible for lower rates, the insuredmust have a registered professional engineer orarchitect certify that the floodproofing conformswith the minimum floodproofing specifications ofFEMA. This means that the building must befloodproofed to at least 1 foot above the BFE. Iffloodproofed to 1 foot above the BFE, flooddepth, or comparable community approvedfloodplain management standards, it can then betreated for rating purposes as having a "0"elevation difference from the BFE. Thiscertification must be submitted with the FloodInsurance Application.
To further illustrate, if the building is certified tobe floodproofed to 2 feet above the BFE, flooddepth, or comparable community approvedfloodplain management standards, whichever ishighest, then it is credited for floodproofing andis to be treated for rating purposes as having a"+1" foot elevation.
See the Rating Section for special rating rulesfor Zones AO and AH.
D. Certification
� Residential Buildings (With Basements)
The Residential Basement FloodproofingCertificate is available for residentialbuildings with basements located in ZonesA1-A30, AE, AR, AR Dual, AO, AH, and Awith estimated BFE and located in a FEMA-approved community that is listed on thenext page. To receive credit forfloodproofing, the completed certificatemust be submitted.
� Non-residential Buildings
A completed Floodproofing Certificate forNon-residential Structures is required for allsuch buildings in Regular Programcommunities, located in Zones A1-A30, AE,AR, AR Dual, AO, AH, and A with estimatedBFE, in order to receive credit forfloodproofing in lieu of elevation.
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APPROVED COMMUNITIES FOR RESIDENTIAL BASEMENT FLOODPROOFING RATING CREDIT
STATE/COMMUNITY NAMEEFFECTIVE
DATE1 STATE/COMMUNITY NAMEEFFECTIVE
DATE1
Alaska
Fairbanks
Idaho
Ammon
Iowa
CliveIndependenceLaPorte City
Kansas
ColwichDerbyGreat BendHalsteadLindsborgRossvilleSalinaSaline CountySedgwick
Minnesota
AlvaradoClay CountyDilworthEast Grand ForksMoorheadRoseau, City ofStephenWarren
Nebraska
FremontGrand IslandHall CountyHastingsNorth BendSchuylerSidneyWood River
2/28/73
6/8/90
4/24/81 9/7/89
6/12/89
1/17/86 2/15/832
8/10/83 7/8/8311/7/942/18/923/6/86
1/14/86 5/19/862
2/28/85 3/28/75 8/29/83 5/15/862
2/12/76 7/14/925/10/83 9/24/82
1/25/79 7/29/80 2/10/80 7/8/83
10/15/989/17/91 12/4/84 1/12/82
New York
AmherstClarence, Town of
North Dakota
Barnes TownshipCasseltonFargoGraftonHarwoodHarwood TownshipHoraceMapletonOxbowPleasant TownshipReed TownshipReiles AcresStanley TownshipWest Fargo
South Dakota
Madison
Wisconsin
AshwaubenonBrown CountyDepereGreen BayHowardShioctonVillage of Allouez
11/20/7808/01/00
1/22/826/18/813/26/752
5/21/8112/19/851/22/821/22/821/22/822
6/1/922
5/5/831/22/828/23/822/8/826/5/78
8/30/83
10/27/782/21/792
10/27/7810/27/7810/27/788/1/98
1/11/932
1 Effective date corresponds to the date of the letter from FEMA that granted the community’s exceptionrequest.
2 The date the community adopted floodproofing ordinances.
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