An elevation certificate is an official document prepared by a licensed Professional Land Surveyor or engineer that records your property's flood zone designation, the Base Flood Elevation at your site, and the elevation of your structure's lowest floor. Lenders require it when a home or commercial building sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area and the owner needs National Flood Insurance Program coverage. In Wyoming, the cost runs $400 to $750 in most markets.
Where Flood Zones Are in Wyoming
Wyoming is not generally thought of as a flood-prone state, but rivers running through the state's population centers create meaningful flood risk in specific areas. Zone AE is the federal designation for areas with a one-percent annual chance of flooding and an established Base Flood Elevation. These are the zones where lenders require flood insurance for federally backed mortgages.
Laramie County and Cheyenne
Crow Creek runs through Cheyenne and carries Zone AE designations through both residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors in the city. This is the most active elevation certificate market in Wyoming. Properties along Crow Creek and its tributaries in west and central Cheyenne are the most commonly affected. If your home or business sits in or near the Crow Creek floodplain, your lender will likely require an elevation certificate before closing.
Albany County
The Laramie River and its tributaries create Zone AE areas in and around the city of Laramie. Lower-lying areas in the Laramie River corridor carry flood zone designations that affect both residential and commercial properties. Albany County's elevation (around 7,200 feet) means that snowmelt events in late spring are the primary flood driver rather than rainfall alone.
Sweetwater County
The Green River flows through Sweetwater County and creates Zone AE designations in and around Rock Springs and the city of Green River. Properties adjacent to the river corridor in both communities may be subject to mandatory flood insurance requirements. The Green River floodplain is the primary focus for elevation certificate work in southwestern Wyoming.
Campbell County
The Belle Fourche River and Powder River create Zone AE areas in portions of Campbell County near Gillette. While residential development in these flood corridors is less dense than in Cheyenne or Casper, property owners with structures in or near those floodplains face the same NFIP requirements as elsewhere in the state.
Natrona County and Casper
The North Platte River carries Zone AE designations through the Casper area. Properties near the North Platte in Casper are affected, with the flood zone running through portions of the metro corridor along the river. Elevation certificates are regularly required for transactions involving properties in the North Platte floodplain.
What an Elevation Certificate Documents
The standard FEMA Elevation Certificate form captures several categories of information that determine flood insurance requirements and premiums.
- Flood zone and map panel: The specific Flood Insurance Rate Map panel number, the flood zone designation, and the effective date of the map.
- Base Flood Elevation: The BFE at the property, taken from the FIRM or determined by the surveyor through engineering methods where the FIRM does not specify one.
- Lowest floor elevation: The elevation of the lowest floor of the structure, including any basement or attached garage. This is measured using NAVD 88, the standard vertical datum for flood mapping.
- Building characteristics: Foundation type, building description, and whether the building has an attached garage, enclosure, or crawlspace that affects how flood water could enter.
- Surveyor certification: The completed form must be signed and sealed by a licensed Professional Land Surveyor or licensed engineer, who certifies the accuracy of the measurements.
How the Certificate Affects Your Insurance Premium
The NFIP calculates flood insurance premiums based partly on the difference between your structure's lowest floor elevation and the Base Flood Elevation at your site. That difference is called freeboard.
If your lowest floor is one foot above the BFE, you pay a lower premium than a neighbor whose floor is at BFE. If your floor is two feet above, the premium drops further. The relationship is not linear, but the savings from positive freeboard can be significant. An elevation certificate that costs $400 to $750 can recoup its cost in reduced premiums within one or two policy years for a property with substantial freeboard.
Conversely, if your lowest floor is below the BFE, the certificate documents that fact and the NFIP sets your premium accordingly. Even in that case, having the document is valuable because it gives your insurer the precise data needed to rate the policy accurately.
The LOMA Option
A Letter of Map Amendment is a formal process through which FEMA officially removes a property or structure from the Special Flood Hazard Area shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map. A LOMA is appropriate when the structure's lowest floor and the ground immediately around it are above the Base Flood Elevation, suggesting that the property was incorrectly included in the flood zone when the map was drawn.
The LOMA process requires submitting elevation data prepared by a licensed surveyor. If FEMA approves the amendment, the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement for federally backed loans is removed. Your licensed surveyor can advise whether your property appears to qualify and can prepare the necessary documentation.
Cost Factors in Wyoming
The $400 to $750 range reflects several variables that are particularly relevant in Wyoming.
- Urban vs. Rural location: Properties in Cheyenne, Casper, or Laramie city are close to surveying firms and involve shorter travel time. Properties in rural flood zones, which are less common but do exist along Wyoming's river corridors, may involve additional travel charges.
- Existing survey monuments: If the property has been recently surveyed and corner monuments are in place, the surveyor can establish the relevant elevations more efficiently. Properties without recent surveys require the surveyor to establish horizontal and vertical control from nearby benchmarks.
- Market demand: Cheyenne has the highest volume of elevation certificate work in the state due to the Crow Creek flood corridor running through the city. That volume supports a competitive market with predictable pricing. Less active markets in other counties may have fewer surveyors with elevation certificate experience.
Finding a Surveyor for an Elevation Certificate
Elevation certificates must be prepared by a licensed Professional Land Surveyor or licensed engineer. In Wyoming, PLS licensure is administered by the Wyoming State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors under W.S. 33-29. To find a licensed land surveyor in Wyoming, browse our directory by county. Firms in Laramie County, Natrona County, and Albany County handle the largest volume of elevation certificate work in the state.