What Is an Elevation Certificate?
An elevation certificate is an official document that records the elevation of a building relative to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) established by FEMA. The BFE is the water surface elevation that FEMA calculates has a one-percent annual chance of being equaled or exceeded in a given year, commonly called the 100-year flood level. The elevation certificate compares your structure's actual elevation to that benchmark.
Elevation certificates are used by insurance companies to calculate National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premiums. A structure well above the BFE carries less flood risk and pays lower premiums. A structure at or below BFE pays higher premiums. For Missouri homeowners in designated flood zones, the certificate is often required by lenders before they will close a mortgage.
Missouri Flood Risk Overview
Missouri sits at the confluence of two of North America's largest river systems, and flooding is a recurring reality across multiple regions of the state. Understanding where Missouri's flood-prone zones are helps property owners know whether an elevation certificate is likely in their future.
Missouri River Corridor
The Missouri River runs roughly east across the state before turning south toward St. Louis. The river regularly overtops its banks in the Kansas City area and in the communities along its course through central Missouri, including Booneville, Jefferson City, and St. Charles. The 1993 and 2019 Missouri River floods caused billions of dollars in damage and reshaped flood maps along much of the corridor. Properties within the 100-year floodplain of the Missouri River are some of the most common candidates for elevation certificate orders in the state.
Mississippi River Floodplain
The Mississippi River defines Missouri's entire eastern border. Communities along this corridor, from Hannibal in the north through Clarksville, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, and south to the Arkansas border, have flood-mapped properties requiring NFIP coverage. St. Louis and St. Charles County have large numbers of properties in or near SFHA zones, and elevation certificates are routinely ordered there for new purchases, refinances, and insurance reviews.
Meramec River (St. Louis County and Jefferson County)
The Meramec River flows through Jefferson County and St. Louis County before emptying into the Mississippi. Valley communities along the Meramec experience significant flood events roughly every few years. Neighborhoods in Eureka, Valley Park, and Fenton have substantial numbers of FEMA-mapped SFHA parcels. The Meramec is one of the most active areas for elevation certificate orders in the St. Louis metro region.
Southeast Missouri Bootheel
The Bootheel, comprising Pemiscot, New Madrid, Dunklin, Stoddard, and Scott counties, is a low-lying agricultural floodplain drained by drainage districts and levee systems. Much of this land sits near or below the flood elevation of nearby rivers. Landowners purchasing or refinancing property in the Bootheel frequently encounter flood zone requirements that trigger the need for elevation certificates.
Other Missouri Tributaries
Numerous smaller rivers and tributaries across Missouri also carry SFHA-designated floodplains. The Osage River in central Missouri, the Current River and Jacks Fork in the Ozarks, and the Grand River in northwest Missouri all have mapped flood hazard areas. Rural properties along these waterways may require elevation certificates even when the nearest large city is miles away.
What Does an Elevation Certificate Cover?
FEMA's elevation certificate form collects detailed information about your property and building, including:
- The building's latitude, longitude, and address
- The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panel number and effective date
- The flood zone designation for your property
- The Base Flood Elevation at your site
- The elevation of the lowest floor of your building
- The elevation of any attached garage or basement floor
- Whether the building has an attached garage, crawlspace, or enclosure below the lowest floor
- The difference between your building's lowest floor and the BFE (your freeboard)
The surveyor must physically visit your property to take accurate elevation readings. They use GPS equipment and reference known benchmarks to measure your building's elevations to FEMA's required accuracy standards.
Elevation Certificate Costs in Missouri
Most Missouri surveyors charge $250 to $600 for a standalone elevation certificate. Several factors affect where your quote falls in that range:
- Property location: Urban properties in Kansas City and St. Louis tend to cost more due to higher firm overhead. Rural Bootheel properties require travel time that may be added to the base fee.
- Building complexity: A single-story ranch home on a slab is the simplest scenario. Properties with multiple floors, complex foundations, or attached structures take more time to document.
- Flood zone complexity: Properties near the boundary between flood zones or on river meanders sometimes require more research into the applicable FIRM panel.
- Bundling with a boundary survey: Many Missouri survey firms offer a discount when you order a boundary survey and elevation certificate together. If you need both, order them at the same time and ask about the combined rate.
How to Use a Missouri Elevation Certificate
Flood Insurance Pricing
Your elevation certificate goes to your flood insurance agent, who uses it to calculate your NFIP premium. If your building sits two feet above BFE, your premium will be substantially lower than if you are at or below BFE. Ask your insurance agent to run a quote with and without the certificate to see the premium impact.
Letters of Map Amendment
If you believe your property was incorrectly included in a SFHA on the FEMA flood map, a licensed surveyor can prepare an elevation certificate and supporting documentation for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) application to FEMA. A successful LOMA removes your property from the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement. This process is most common for properties that were mapped into a flood zone due to a map revision rather than actual flood risk.
Lender Requirements
Federal law requires lenders to mandate flood insurance for properties in SFHA zones when the loan is federally backed. When a lender requires flood insurance, they may also require an elevation certificate to confirm proper coverage levels. Providing a certificate at closing can speed the underwriting process.
Finding a Licensed Missouri Surveyor for an Elevation Certificate
Only a licensed Professional Land Surveyor, licensed professional engineer, or licensed architect may prepare an official elevation certificate in Missouri. For most residential elevation certificates, a licensed PLS is the practical choice.
When selecting a surveyor, confirm they have experience with FEMA elevation certificates specifically. Not every boundary surveyor does NFIP elevation certificate work regularly. Ask how many certificates they prepare each year and whether they are familiar with the FIRM panels for your specific county.
Verify any surveyor's license through the Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects (APELSLA) at pr.mo.gov/apelsla.asp.
Missouri Emergency Management Resources
The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) maintains flood mitigation resources for Missouri property owners at sema.dps.mo.gov. SEMA coordinates with FEMA on flood map updates and community flood insurance programs and is a good resource if you have questions about your community's participation in the NFIP.
Check your property's current flood zone status at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov). Enter your address to see the current FIRM panel, your flood zone designation, and the effective date of the map that applies to your property.
Find a Missouri Elevation Certificate Surveyor
Ready to order an elevation certificate? Use our Missouri land surveyor directory to find licensed PLSs who prepare elevation certificates in your county, compare turnaround times, and request quotes.