What Is an Elevation Certificate?
An elevation certificate is a standardized FEMA form 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 on Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Lenders require it for properties in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas to determine flood insurance requirements under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Nevada's Desert Doesn't Mean No Flood Risk
Nevada gets about four to eight inches of rain per year statewide, with Las Vegas averaging around four inches. That number misleads many property owners into assuming flood insurance and elevation certificates are irrelevant in Nevada. They are not.
The problem is runoff. When rain falls on Nevada's hardpacked desert soil and rock, it runs off immediately rather than soaking in. Intense summer thunderstorms can drop an inch of rain in 30 minutes, sending a wall of water down normally dry washes. The Las Vegas Valley is a large drainage basin, and the wash system that moves that water through the valley passes through residential neighborhoods, shopping centers, and commercial corridors. Clark County has maintained one of the most extensive stormwater flood control programs in the country specifically because flash flooding has caused serious damage and deaths.
FEMA Flood Zones in Nevada
Clark County
Clark County has dozens of FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas corresponding to its wash network. The Las Vegas Wash is the primary drainage for the entire valley. Flamingo Wash crosses the urban core. Sloan Channel handles drainage from the southwestern valley. Properties within Zone AE or Zone A along these systems may require flood insurance and elevation certificates.
Washoe County
The Truckee River flows through downtown Reno and Sparks and has flooded both cities repeatedly. The river corridor carries FEMA flood designations through the urban area. Low-lying properties near the river, particularly in older parts of downtown Reno, are in mapped flood zones. Incline Village on Lake Tahoe's north shore has additional flood mapping along drainage features regulated by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Carson City and Other Areas
The Carson River creates flood zones in the western portions of Carson City. The Humboldt River and its tributaries create mapped areas in rural northern Nevada. Statewide, properties near any of Nevada's significant waterways may be in FEMA flood zones regardless of the desert setting.
What the Surveyor Measures
Your Nevada PLS visits the property and measures the lowest floor elevation, attached garage elevation, top of the lowest floor, the lowest adjacent grade around the foundation, and other FEMA-required data points. These measurements are recorded on FEMA Form 086-0-33, which the surveyor stamps and signs. The finished certificate is used for insurance rating, permit applications, and Letter of Map Amendment submissions.
Cost of an Elevation Certificate in Nevada
Most elevation certificates in Nevada cost $450 to $900. Clark County urban properties near established washes typically fall on the lower end. Remote rural properties with access challenges cost more. Rush turnaround for a pending closing adds 25 to 50 percent to standard fees.
Find surveyors who handle elevation certificates by county at our Nevada directory.