Estero residents are being offered the option to obtain a free elevation certificate for their homes which enables lower insurance premiums for safer homes, ensures compliance with local floodplain management ordinances, and is used to request map changes (LOMAs).
An elevation certificate documents a property’s lowest floor elevation compared to the estimated flood level, directly determining flood risk and insurance costs. It includes information such as a home’s location, characteristics, and its first-floor height.
An elevation certificate can assist homeowners in several important ways:
- Determine Insurance Premiums: It serves as the primary document used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to calculate flood insurance rates.
- Evaluate Flood Risk: It compares the structure’s elevation to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) to determine the property’s level of flood risk.
- Verify Compliance: It confirms that newer buildings located in Special Flood Hazard Areas are constructed in accordance with local floodplain management regulations.
- Potentially Lower Insurance Costs: If the building is elevated above the BFE, the certificate documents the reduced risk, which may result in lower insurance premiums.
- Support Map Amendments: It is required when submitting a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) to remove a property from a mandatory flood zone designation.
Participation is optional and availability is limited. To sign up, complete the form linked below, email floodcert@aptim.com to receive the form or call (239) 504-0442 to request form.
👉 Sign up link:
👉 Map below shows properties in special flood hazard areas (which are eligible for a free elevation certificate through this effort) and elevation certificates the Village currently has on record:
https://esterofl.withforerunner.com/
👉 Surveyors need to walk around property to measure the elevation of points around your home. An example of an elevation certificate form can be found here:
Elevation Certificate | FEMA.gov
