Friday, January 31, 2020

Elevation Certificate in Bergen County, NJ

Are you looking for an Elevation Certificate in Bergen County NJ? Omland & Osterkorn is an experienced and accomplished engineering firm that can provide you with an Elevation Certificate in Bergen County NJ.

What is an elevation certificate?


At its simplest, the elevation certificate is a document that measures the level of susceptibility that your property has to flood damage. If you’re looking to get flood insurance and the insurance company is about to calculate your premium, them the elevation certificate is one of the most important documents that will be required.
The elevation certificate helps with calculating insurance premiums by estimating the likelihood that rising floods will get to the lowest floor of your home. The certificate is issued by the NFIP; a federal flood insurance program that falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).

Basically, the elevation certificate will include the following information about your home:







  • 1. Your location and the flood zone: There are different flood zones in America, and the elevation certificate shows both where the property is situated and the appropriate flood zone
  • 2. The characteristics of the building: If you want to get an elevation certificate in NJ, there’s a significant chance that issuers will come to your property to note some important features of the property. Attached garages, etc. usually fall under this category
  • 3. The lowest floor elevation: The lowest floor of your property is usually the one that is most prone to flooding. Depending on the type of property you have, it could be your basement or your garage, and you’ll need to get a professional surveyor to easily assess the elevation of your home based on guidelines that have bene put forth by FEMA.


  • The most important feature of the elevation certificate in NJ, especially when it comes to affecting your insurance premium, will have to be the lowest floor elevation. The elevation of your property will be compared to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) for your location, which is the elevation level that the NFIP estimates will have a 1 percent chance of getting hit by flood waters in a single year.

    The higher your lowest floor is from the BFE, the lower the risk your home has of being considered as being susceptible for flood damage. Thus, your insurance premium will be lower as well.

    Is the elevation certificate required for purchasing flood insurance?


    As we’ve established, the elevation certificate is an important document that shows critical information about your property. However, you’ll only be required to provide it to your insurer is your flood insurance and property meet the following requirements:






  • 1. Your property purchase has been financed by a mortgage from a federal lender
  • 2. You live in a Special Flood Hazard Area, which FEMA has defined as places being at a higher risk of flooding
  • 3. You want to purchase a flood insurance policy backed by the NFIP.


  • For the third option, you should know that a lot of private insurance firms offer flood insurance cover in their name, but they are mostly backed by the government.

    However, if any of the conditions don’t apply to you, then you don’t need to get an elevation certificate in NJ. If they do, then you’ll need one to calculate your premium before you get the flood insurance.

    For more information about elevation certificates in Bergen County NJ, speak to one of our engineers at 973-647-7820.

    Omland & Osterkorn – Your Trusted Elevation Certificate Surveyors in Bergen County NJ.

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