About FEMA Surveyor
How do I get an elevation certificate for Flood Insurance?
How do I order a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Elevation Certificate?
Hire Meridian Surveying Engineering, INC and RGA Antioch is a combined 34 year old company. Meridian is a 25 year old Northern California firm with Licensed Land Surveyors on staff to assist and promptly process your Elevation Certificate.
HOW MUCH DOES AN ELEVATION CERTIFICATE COST?
We do not charge more for Elevation Certificates in specific cities or by location. Prices range from $830 to $2900 depending on many factors. Bulk pricing is available for elevation certificates. The fixed cost is determined by the complexity and size of your building, crawl space size, vents, machinery location, commercial vs residential, proximity of creek or water, etc. We have 3 offices in Northern California and service the entire San Francisco Bay Area, Peninsula, East Bay, North Bay, Sacramento Delta and Central Valley for elevation certificates. We provide a fixed cost with an option for faster service.
Do I need separate Elevation Certificates for each building? Yes, unless they are attached.
EMAIL US: Your Contact information; Site address, Number of buildings and timeline.
CALL US: 415 456 5450, or 1-800-515-6674
HOW FAST CAN WE DO AN ELEVATION CERTIFICATE? Emergency 48 hour service is available – normal turnaround options are 5 or 10 working days.
Request a FEMA Certificate Estimate
Fill out my online form.
HOW DO I GET OUT OF FLOOD INSURANCE OR GET OUT OF DOING AN ELEVATION CERTIFICATE?
You need an Elevation Certificate to determine what your options are. In cases where we do a FEMA Elevation Certificate and find that you have unique circumstances we can be engaged to take additional steps to potentially reduce your flood insurance cost. If justified we can file a LOMA (Letter of Map Amendment) requesting they remove your property from the zone designation. Other options include: (LOMC) Letter of Map Change; (LOMR-F) Letter of Map Revision - Fill; (CLOMA) Conditional Letter of Map Amendment. As you know, FEMA maps are done at a very large scale and are imperfect because they must cover the entire United States. That is why you need a knowledgeable responsive Licensed Land Surveyor.
WHY AM IN A FLOOD ZONE NOW? FEMA remapped most of Northern California in 2009 and they are continuously revising and updating their flood zone maps.
Each circumstance is unique as you may be perched on a hill in a flood zone but out of the flood plain.
County flood studies and local city studies are also reviewed but many are preliminary. The current approved FEMA map is utilized for the certificates.
Understandably, there is a lot of discontent over the generic inclusion of all structures in revised flood zones by FEMA- a true and accurate elevation certificate by Meridian Surveying Engineering INC will get you the facts.
In addition to revising the maps flood insurance fees are being increased as a result of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 is a law that was passed by Congress and signed by the President in 2012. The Act extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for five years and requires significant reforms to the NFIP.
As a result, the NFIP now requires all new flood insurance policy applications for Pre-FIRM constructed properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas, for policies effective on or after October 1, 2013, to be rated using full-risk rates based on a submitted Elevation Certificate (EC) and photos.
CLICK here for a Flood Elevation Certificate sample.
Download the FEMA FACT SHEET Here:
WHO IS QUALIFIED TO DO A FEMA ELEVATION CERTIFICATE? Only a California Licensed Land Surveyor or Civil Engineer Licensed prior to 1982 can certify an Elevation Certificate. Core Competence: Meridian staff just completed the 2013 Advanced California Department of Water Resources course on FEMA Elevation Certificates for California. Click here for certificate.
FEMA TESTIMONIAL
"I just wanted to thank you for providing such excellent service. We are new to the concept of living in a flood zone and quickly needed an elevation certificate to qualify for flood insurance prior to the purchase of our new home. You responded right away to our request for a proposal and were the lowest bid. Afterward obtaining our certificate, you did a great job explaining the findings to us in layman’s terms and gave us suggestions for how to communicate with our insurance company to get the best rate possible. As a remodel consultant, I value prompt, excellent service and appreciate the fact that you shared the knowledge you’ve acquired from other customers like me. Thank you. I’m sure I will be sending my clients your way soon. Jenna Miller Pelaez, Casa di Aria Remodel Consulting"
Jenna Miller Pelaez
Realtor, Keynote Properties