Elevation Certificates Along the Missouri River
Burleigh County's primary flood zone follows the Missouri River as it passes through Bismarck. The river carries a Zone AE floodplain designation on both banks throughout the city, meaning properties within or near the 100-year floodplain are likely to encounter a requirement for an elevation certificate before closing, refinancing, or obtaining a building permit. The Zone AE designation indicates that the Base Flood Elevation has been determined, and an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor is the document that establishes where your property sits relative to that elevation.
The Heart River joins the Missouri just south of Bismarck, and this confluence adds additional flood zone area to the southern part of the city and county. Properties along the Heart River corridor share similar flood zone characteristics and often face the same elevation certificate requirements as properties directly on the Missouri.
When You Need an Elevation Certificate in Burleigh County
A lender will require an elevation certificate when a property falls within a Special Flood Hazard Area such as Zone AE, and flood insurance is mandatory as a condition of the mortgage. The National Flood Insurance Program uses the elevation certificate to calculate your accurate flood insurance premium rather than applying a default rate based on map position alone.
You may also need an elevation certificate when applying for a building permit on a property in a flood zone, when seeking a Letter of Map Amendment to remove your property from a flood zone designation, or when you want to document that your structure's lowest floor is above the Base Flood Elevation to reduce your flood insurance cost.
What the Surveyor Measures
When a licensed surveyor prepares your elevation certificate, they visit your property and use GPS or conventional survey equipment to measure the elevation of your building's lowest floor. They compare this measurement to the Base Flood Elevation shown on the current FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map for your location in Burleigh County. The surveyor documents the building's characteristics, the flood zone designation, and the relevant elevations on the official FEMA elevation certificate form.
The elevation of the lowest floor is the most critical measurement. In the context of Zone AE properties along the Missouri River in Bismarck, the difference between your lowest floor elevation and the Base Flood Elevation directly determines whether flood insurance is mandatory and how much it costs. A property with the lowest floor well above the BFE qualifies for significantly reduced premiums.
Cost of an Elevation Certificate in Burleigh County
| Property Type | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard residential property (Bismarck) | $350 to $550 |
| Property with complex access or conditions | $500 to $650 |
| Combined with boundary survey | Often discounted $75 to $150 |
Letters of Map Amendment
Some Burleigh County properties shown on FEMA maps as being within Zone AE are actually situated above the Base Flood Elevation when measured by a licensed surveyor. In those cases, an elevation certificate can support a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) application that removes the property from the mandatory flood insurance requirement. A successful LOMA eliminates the ongoing cost of flood insurance for as long as the property retains that designation. A surveyor familiar with the Bismarck flood zone maps can advise whether your site's elevation makes a LOMA feasible.
How Long It Takes
An elevation certificate in Burleigh County typically takes one to two weeks from scheduling to final document delivery. If you are also ordering a boundary survey for the same property, scheduling both at the same site visit is efficient and can reduce total cost.
Find a Surveyor for Your Elevation Certificate
Every surveyor listed in our Burleigh County directory is sourced from North Dakota state licensing records and holds a current Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) license. Find one serving Bismarck and the surrounding county at /north-dakota/burleigh/.