Elevation Certificates in Genesee County (2026)
Genesee County has two primary flood corridors: the Flint River, which runs from the northern part of the county south and west through the city of Flint and toward Clio, and Kearsley Creek, which drains through Davison and Burton before joining the Flint River. FEMA has designated Special Flood Hazard Areas along both waterways, and properties within or near these zones typically need an elevation certificate to obtain accurate flood insurance pricing or to satisfy lender requirements at closing.
What an Elevation Certificate Documents
An elevation certificate is an official FEMA form completed by a licensed surveyor, engineer, or certified floodplain manager. It measures and records the elevation of a building's lowest floor relative to the base flood elevation (BFE) shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for that area. The resulting document tells your insurance company exactly how much risk your structure carries. If your floor sits above the BFE, your premium drops. If it sits below, the premium reflects that added exposure.
The certificate also captures information about the building's foundation type, attached garage elevations, and whether the building has an enclosure below the lowest floor. All of this detail affects flood insurance rating under the National Flood Insurance Program.
When You Need an Elevation Certificate in Genesee County
Purchasing Property Near the Flint River or Kearsley Creek
If you are buying a property with a federally backed mortgage and the home is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, your lender will mandate flood insurance. The insurer may accept an existing elevation certificate if one has been prepared, but if none exists you will need to hire a licensed surveyor to complete one before or shortly after closing. In parts of Flint and Burton, it is worth checking the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before making an offer, so you know in advance whether a certificate will be required.
Disputing an Inflated Premium
Some Genesee County property owners pay flood insurance premiums based on a general zone assignment rather than a precise building elevation measurement. If your structure was built at or above the base flood elevation, a new elevation certificate can document that fact and support a premium reduction or a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) application. A LOMA, if granted by FEMA, removes a property from the Special Flood Hazard Area designation entirely, which can eliminate the mandatory purchase requirement.
Redevelopment and Construction Permits
Flint and surrounding communities are actively encouraging redevelopment of vacant and underused parcels. Many of these sites are near the Flint River or its tributaries. Building permits for new construction or substantial improvements in flood zones require elevation certificates to confirm the proposed first-floor elevation meets or exceeds the BFE. The certificate is typically submitted with the permit application.
After Improvements to an Existing Structure
If you have raised a structure, added fill to the site, or completed substantial improvements to a building in a flood zone, a post-construction elevation certificate documents the new elevation. Some local programs and insurance adjustments require an updated certificate after major work is complete.
Flood Zone Areas in Genesee County
The highest-risk areas in Genesee County are along the Flint River from the northern county line through Clio, through central Flint, and downstream toward Flint Township. Kearsley Creek is the second major concern, running through Davison Township and the city of Burton. Low-lying areas between these waterways in Flint and Flint Township also carry localized flood risk, particularly in years with heavy precipitation. The FIRM panels for Genesee County are maintained by FEMA and are available at msc.fema.gov, where you can search by address to see the current flood zone designation for any parcel.
How to Order an Elevation Certificate
Contact a LARA-licensed land surveyor in Genesee County and confirm they perform FEMA elevation certificate work. Provide your property address, your parcel ID from Genesee County GIS at gc4me.com, and any existing flood determination or insurance documents you have. The surveyor will verify your flood zone status, schedule a field visit to measure building elevations, and prepare the completed FEMA form. Turnaround is typically one to three weeks after the field visit.
Find a licensed surveyor who handles elevation certificate work in our directory of land surveyors in Genesee County.