A FEMA elevation certificate is a federal form, currently numbered FF-206-FY-22-152 and formerly known as 086-0-33, that records how high a building sits relative to the surrounding ground and the base flood elevation the community uses to regulate construction. A licensed surveyor, engineer, or architect performs the measurements and certifies the results. Under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 pricing system, you no longer have to submit one to buy a National Flood Insurance Program policy, but the certificate remains the most reliable way to lower your premium when FEMA’s modeled elevation data overestimates your risk, and it is still required for new construction and for challenging a flood zone designation.1Federal Emergency Management Agency. Risk Rating 2.0 Equity in Action FAQs
When You Actually Need One
Risk Rating 2.0 removed the blanket requirement, so most existing homeowners can buy or renew flood insurance without a certificate. Four situations still make one necessary or worth paying for.
- New construction or substantial improvements in a flood zone. Federal regulations at 44 CFR 60.3 require NFIP-participating communities to record the elevation of the lowest floor of new and substantially improved structures, and the elevation certificate is the standard document. Your local building department will almost certainly demand one before issuing a certificate of occupancy.2eCFR. 44 CFR 60.3 – Floodplain Management Criteria for Flood-Prone Areas
- Lowering your premium. FEMA prices policies using modeled elevation data, and the models can be imprecise. If a professional survey shows your building sits higher than FEMA assumes, submitting the certificate can trigger a rate reduction. If it reveals the opposite, FEMA will not raise your premium retroactively based on the data you supplied.1Federal Emergency Management Agency. Risk Rating 2.0 Equity in Action FAQs
- Challenging your flood zone. If you believe your property was mapped into a Special Flood Hazard Area incorrectly, the certificate provides the elevation data needed to request a Letter of Map Amendment or a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill. A successful LOMA can eliminate the federal requirement that your lender force you to carry flood insurance. FEMA charges no fee to review a LOMA request.3Federal Emergency Management Agency. Letter of Map Amendment and Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill
Who Fills It Out and What It Costs
You cannot complete the technical portions yourself. A licensed land surveyor, professional engineer, or certified architect authorized under your state’s laws must perform the field measurements and certify the results by signing and sealing the surveyor’s section of the form.4Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152 Elevation Certificate and Instructions Insurance carriers and floodplain offices will reject a certificate without the seal.
Fees generally run between $400 and $2,000. A single-family home on a flat, well-mapped lot falls toward the lower end. Properties with unusual foundations, steep grades, or limited survey control points cost more. Get quotes from two or three licensed surveyors. When the certificate produces a premium reduction, the survey often pays for itself within a year or two.
What the Certificate Records
The form runs eight sections labeled A through H. The surveyor handles most of it, but a few pieces come from you and one comes from your local building official.4Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152 Elevation Certificate and Instructions
Section A captures the property address, building use, and the numbered building diagram that matches your foundation type. FEMA provides nine diagrams in the instructions, covering slab-on-grade, elevated on piers or piles, crawlspace, and other configurations. Two labeled photographs of the building, front and back, are also required.
Section B ties the property to the Flood Insurance Rate Map by recording the NFIP community number, map panel number, flood zone, and base flood elevation.
Section C is the technical core. The surveyor records field-measured elevations for up to eight reference points, all tied to the same vertical datum as the base flood elevation. Key measurements include the top of the bottom floor, the top of the next higher floor, the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member, an attached garage slab, machinery and equipment servicing the building, the Lowest Adjacent Grade, the Highest Adjacent Grade, and the finished grade at the lowest point of any attached deck or stairs. The Lowest Adjacent Grade carries particular weight because it represents the lowest ground touching the building and drives LOMA determinations.
Section D is the surveyor’s signature, seal, license number, and contact information.
Section E is an alternative used when a full datum-based survey is not required, such as in unnumbered A zones where no base flood elevation has been established. It records measurements relative to the highest and lowest adjacent grades rather than to a vertical datum, and the owner can complete it. Section F is the owner’s signature block for any sections the owner filled in.
Section G is completed by the local floodplain administrator or building official, who records the permit number, the date the permit issued, and the date of the certificate of compliance or occupancy. Section H holds additional data when a building straddles multiple flood zones or has other unusual features.
Errors That Get Certificates Rejected
Floodplain administrators see the same handful of problems repeatedly. Catching them before submission saves weeks.
- Wrong building diagram number. Selecting a diagram that does not match the actual foundation throws off every reference point that follows.
- Blank fields in Section C. Every field must contain a measurement or “N/A.” The most commonly skipped entry is the elevation of machinery and equipment.
- Wrong community number or outdated map date in Section B.
- Crossed-out entries or handwritten corrections. If an error surfaces after signing, the surveyor should issue a clean replacement.
- Missing seal or signature in the surveyor’s section.
Where to Submit It
The completed certificate goes to two places, sometimes three.
Send a copy to your flood insurance agent or the NFIP carrier that writes your policy. The agent submits it so FEMA can factor the elevation data into your premium. If the certificate shows lower risk than FEMA’s model assumed, expect the rate adjustment on your next renewal or, in some cases, as a mid-term endorsement. Ask your agent about the carrier’s timeline.
File a copy with your local floodplain administrator or building department. For new construction or substantial improvements, this filing is a prerequisite for a certificate of occupancy. Some jurisdictions accept digital uploads through a permitting portal; others require a physical copy. Call to confirm.
If you are pursuing a LOMA, submit the certificate to FEMA with the LOMA application.3Federal Emergency Management Agency. Letter of Map Amendment and Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill
How Long It Stays Valid
A completed elevation certificate does not expire. The OMB expiration date printed on the form (currently June 30, 2026) applies to the blank form, not to a certificate that has already been signed and sealed.4Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152 Elevation Certificate and Instructions A 2015 certificate is still usable in 2026 as long as nothing about the building has physically changed.
The certificate documents the building, not the owner, so it transfers with the property. A buyer can use the seller’s certificate for insurance purposes without commissioning a new survey. If you are buying in a flood zone and no certificate exists, you can still purchase flood insurance under Risk Rating 2.0, but ordering one before or shortly after closing preserves the option to seek a lower rate.
You do need a fresh certificate after any physical change that alters the elevation profile. The clearest trigger is a substantial improvement, meaning any renovation, addition, or rehabilitation where the total cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the building’s pre-improvement market value.5Federal Emergency Management Agency. Substantial Improvement and Substantial Damage Once that threshold is hit, the building must be brought up to current floodplain management standards as if it were new construction, and a new certificate documents the result. FEMA treats the project cost as a single number, so splitting work across multiple permits does not sidestep the rule. Some communities aggregate improvement costs over a rolling five- or ten-year period.
Where to Get the Blank Form
The current version, FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152, is a free PDF download from FEMA’s underwriting forms page.6Federal Emergency Management Agency. National Flood Insurance Program Underwriting Forms It carries embedded instructions accessible from each page. Your local building department or floodplain office may also stock copies. In practice, the surveyor you hire will already have the form and will handle both the field work and the paperwork. Downloading it yourself makes sense mainly if you want to review the instructions before hiring or need to fill in the owner-completed sections in advance.