What Is an Elevation Certificate?
An elevation certificate is an official document prepared by a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer that records the elevation of a structure relative to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) established by FEMA. Lenders require it for properties in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas to determine whether flood insurance is mandatory under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Insurance agents use it to calculate accurate flood insurance premiums.
Why Arkansas Has High Flood Certificate Demand
Arkansas sits at the confluence of several major river systems. The Arkansas River runs east through the center of the state. The White River, Black River, and Cache River drain the north and northeast. The Ouachita River crosses the south. And the entire eastern border of Arkansas follows the Mississippi River, with its extensive alluvial plain extending miles inland.
These river systems create hundreds of miles of FEMA-mapped flood zones. Communities along the Arkansas River, White River, and Mississippi River backwater areas see frequent elevation certificate requirements. The 2011 Mississippi River flood, one of the largest in recorded history, inundated parts of eastern Arkansas that had never flooded before and triggered new FEMA mapping that brought many properties into flood zones for the first time.
Flood Zones in Arkansas
FEMA maps Arkansas flood zones using Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The key zones to know are Zone AE (base flood with calculated BFE), Zone A (base flood without BFE), Zone AO (shallow flooding), and Zone X (minimal flood risk). Properties in Zone AE or A require flood insurance if they carry a federally backed mortgage.
Major FEMA-mapped areas in Arkansas include the Arkansas River corridor from Fort Smith through Little Rock to Pine Bluff, the Cache River and Bayou de View drainage in northeast Arkansas, the White River from Newport to Batesville, and the Mississippi River and its tributaries in the Delta region.
What the Surveyor Measures
Your surveyor will collect GPS coordinates of the structure, measure the lowest adjacent grade around the foundation, document the lowest floor elevation (including basement or crawl space if applicable), and note the height of any attached garage. They will look up the FIRM panel for your property and compare your measured elevations to the published BFE. All data goes onto FEMA Form 086-0-33, the standard elevation certificate form, which the surveyor signs and seals.
Cost of an Elevation Certificate in Arkansas
Most elevation certificates in Arkansas cost $350 to $700. The main factors affecting cost are the complexity of the structure (slab, crawlspace, or basement all have different measurement requirements), access to the property, and how recently your FIRM panel was revised. Properties in newly remapped zones sometimes require additional research to confirm BFE.
Getting an accurate elevation certificate can save money on flood insurance premiums if your structure is built above the BFE. A property two feet above BFE can see flood insurance premiums drop by hundreds of dollars per year compared to one at or below BFE.
How Long It Takes
Most elevation certificates in Arkansas are completed in three to seven business days from the surveyor's site visit. Rush service is available from some firms for an added fee.
Find surveyors who handle elevation certificates near you in our Arkansas directory.