Elevation Certificates in Kane County, IL
The Fox River is the defining geographic feature of Kane County, and it brings significant flood risk to communities along its length. Aurora and Elgin have large portions of their older, lower-lying neighborhoods mapped in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas. Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles also have affected riverside properties. Elevation certificates are a routine part of buying, selling, insuring, and building on these properties.
What Is an Elevation Certificate?
An elevation certificate (EC) is an official FEMA document that records the elevation of your building's lowest floor relative to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) on the Flood Insurance Rate Map for your area. It is prepared on FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152 and must be signed and sealed by a licensed Illinois Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) or engineer.
The EC tells your insurance company how much risk your structure carries. If your floor is above the BFE, you get a discount. If it is below, your premium is higher. The document is also required for mortgage lending on properties in flood zones and for building permit compliance.
The Fox River Flood Zone in Kane County
Aurora
Aurora's older east side neighborhoods along the Fox River have extensive Zone AE flood mapping. This includes residential streets near the riverbank and some areas further inland where the floodplain widens. Elevation certificates are commonly required for real estate transactions, insurance policies, and building permits in these areas.
Elgin
Elgin's Fox River frontage includes both residential and commercial properties in the flood zone. The river corridor through downtown Elgin and into the South Elgin area has significant mapped floodplain. Properties close to the river and in low topographic positions are most at risk.
Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles
These historic river towns have riverfront properties and some low-lying streets that fall within mapped flood zones. The risk is generally more localized than in Aurora or Elgin, but riverfront properties in all three cities may require elevation certificates for insurance or lending.
Carpentersville
Portions of Carpentersville near the Fox River also have mapped floodplain. Older riverside neighborhoods here may have structures below or near the Base Flood Elevation.
When You Need an Elevation Certificate in Kane County
- Flood insurance: Required for National Flood Insurance Program policies on properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas. The EC allows the insurer to rate the policy accurately based on your actual elevation.
- Mortgage closing: Federal law requires flood insurance (and therefore an EC) for federally backed mortgages on properties in SFHAs.
- Building permits: Kane County municipalities require an EC before issuing certificates of occupancy for new construction or substantial improvements in flood zones.
- LOMA applications: If your property is incorrectly shown in a flood zone on FEMA maps, an EC is the foundation of a Letter of Map Amendment that can remove it.
- Refinancing: Lenders often require a current EC when refinancing a property that was previously flagged as being in a flood zone.
Cost of an Elevation Certificate in Kane County
Standard residential elevation certificates in Kane County cost $400 to $700. Factors that increase cost include:
- Large lots or properties with multiple structures where several elevation measurements are needed
- Sites that require establishing a new elevation benchmark due to distance from existing USGS or NGS control points
- Rush requests tied to a closing deadline
If you also need a boundary survey, ask surveyors about bundled pricing. Some firms offer a discount when both services are ordered together.
How to Check Your Flood Zone
Use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov to look up your property's current Flood Insurance Rate Map designation. Enter your address to see whether you are in Zone AE, Zone X, or another designation. NFIP resources at floodsmart.gov explain what each zone means for insurance requirements and premium rates.
Find a Surveyor for Your Elevation Certificate
Only a licensed Illinois PLS can prepare and certify an elevation certificate. Verify any surveyor's license status at idfpr.illinois.gov before hiring.
Our directory lists licensed surveyors serving Aurora, Elgin, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Carpentersville, and all of Kane County. Find an elevation certificate surveyor in Kane County here.