Sullins Engineering, LLC
Flood Services
We can help you eliminate flood insurance.
Frequently Ask Questions
Why is your property located in a flood zone?
Flood maps are issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Certain areas are classified as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and may be determined as low, moderate or high risk. FEMA requires property owners in high risk areas to purchase mandated flood insurance. FEMA does not study properties individually but rather classifies larger areas as SFHA.
How do lenders determine your risk?
In 1968, the US created a mandatory flood insurance program for property owners known as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP then uses the official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community. These maps are known as the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). More information can be found at on FEMA’s website. A flood insurance company can also use an elevation certificate to assess the flood risk of the structure.
Do you have the right to challenge the flood classification of your property?
Yes, you have the right to dispute the flood zone classification and have it changed if you feel that the risk assessment is improper for your property. This can be done in two ways:
A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA)
Letter of Map Admendment, or LOMA, is a letter approved by FEMA that permanently removes your structure from the flood zone. This is accomplished by submitting a MT-EZ Form to FEMA. The MT-EZ Form provides the necessary information for FEMA to make a determination if your property qualifies for a LOMA. The primary information FEMA looks at on this form is the 100 year base flood elevations from my study and the base floor elevation of your existing structure.
An Elevation Certificate
An Elevation Certificate is similar to a LOMA but does not provide the 100 year base elevation. Therefore, it cannot remove the property from the flood zone but could possibly help in reclassifying the property to a lesser risk zone and reduce insurance premiums.
Contact us for a free consultation on your property, and he will then conduct a flood study analysis on your individual property to determine if your structure qualifies for a reduction, or even elimination of flood insurance.