Short answer: No. Since Risk Rating 2.0, the NFIP doesn't require an Elevation Certificate (EC) to buy or rate a flood policy, because FEMA sources your building's elevation data itself. An EC is still optional. If you submit one, FEMA prices the policy both ways and gives you the lower premium. So yes, an EC can still lower your NFIP premium: if it shows your home sits higher than FEMA's data assumed, you get the lower price. It's optional, not required, and it never raises your rate.
You may have read that "an elevation certificate lowers your flood insurance premium." That was the rule of thumb under the old zone-based system. Under Risk Rating 2.0 that can still be true, but only when your EC is more favorable than FEMA's own data. This guide shows you exactly when one is worth paying for.
I'm Chris Greene. I've been in insurance since 2009, and my team has placed more than 20,000 flood policies and handled more than 10,000 claims. We're licensed in all 50 states. Here's how I explain ECs to my own clients.
Before October 2021, NFIP pricing for many homes in high-risk zones depended heavily on two things: your flood zone and your EC. Without an EC, some homes couldn't get a quote at all.
Risk Rating 2.0 changed that. It was phased in from October 1, 2021 through April 1, 2023:
The correction: an EC is no longer required, but it can still lower your premium. FEMA rates the policy with and without your EC and uses the lower premium, so a favorable EC lowers what you pay.
In this video I make three points:
Not sure an EC is worth it for your home? If you already have an EC, send it to us and we'll review it and show you whether it changes your quote: request help with an elevation certificate.
One customer in Connecticut asked me why his NFIP rate kept going up even though he raised his home in 2015. Under Risk Rating 2.0, elevation is one factor among many. Mitigation credits that once saved thousands may now be worth much less. Your renewal can also include the statutory annual increase (capped at 18% for most policies) as the policy moves toward its full-risk rate. Check your declarations page for the statutory discount and the full-risk premium. Those two numbers tell you where your premium is headed.
Work through these questions in order.
1. Is your home in a high-risk flood zone (SFHA), and do you think the ground around it is at or above the Base Flood Elevation? → Yes: an EC (or certified elevation data) really matters. It's the evidence for a LOMA (Letter of Map Amendment), or a LOMR-F if fill was placed. FEMA requires the lowest adjacent grade to be at or above the BFE. A LOMA or LOMR-F removes the federal mandatory purchase requirement, but your lender can still require flood insurance. FEMA doesn't charge a fee to review a LOMA; it does charge one for a LOMR-F. An EC on its own does not waive the requirement. Only FEMA's letter does. Start with a free flood zone check, and see what a Zone AE designation means.
2. Are you getting quotes from private flood insurers? → Maybe. Private carriers set their own underwriting rules, and some ask for elevation data. Rules vary by carrier, so ask your agent before you pay for a survey.
3. Do you have an NFIP policy and think your home sits higher than FEMA assumed? (For example, it's on piers, has a raised crawlspace, or sits on a noticeably higher lot.) → Optional, but possibly worth it. Submit an EC and FEMA will use whichever data gives you the lower premium. Compare the survey cost (often several hundred dollars or more) against a realistic estimate of savings.
4. Is your home older (pre-FIRM), or did you have a grandfathered rate? → Under Risk Rating 2.0, grandfathering as a rating discount is gone. Those policies are moving to full-risk rates within the annual cap. Pre-FIRM primary residences may still get a statutory discount, and an assumable policy can transfer its discount to a buyer. An EC may still help show your real first-floor height. Ask your agent to compare quotes with and without one before you assume you need it.
5. Are you building, rebuilding after a flood, or doing a major renovation in a mapped flood zone? → Likely required, but by your community, not your insurance. Communities in the NFIP must record the lowest-floor elevation of new and substantially improved buildings, and the EC is the standard way to document it. Check with your local floodplain manager or building department.
6. Are you selling or buying a home in a flood zone? → Helpful. A completed EC doesn't expire unless the building physically changes, and it stays with the building when ownership changes. Buyers and lenders often ask for one, and it can support a LOMA or a better quote. If you're financing, read our mortgage flood insurance guide.
None of the above? You probably don't need to buy a new EC just for your NFIP policy.
Flood insurance should reflect your home's actual risk, not a rule of thumb from 2019. Let's find out whether an EC will save you money.
Already have an EC, or need one ordered? Start an elevation certificate request.
Short answers from The Flood Insurance Channel. See the full Elevation Certificates and Flood Insurance playlist, or start with:
Is an elevation certificate required for NFIP flood insurance in 2026? No. Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA sources elevation data itself. You can optionally submit one, and FEMA will use it if it produces a lower premium.
Can an elevation certificate raise my NFIP premium? No. According to FEMA's Flood Insurance Manual, providing EC information won't increase your premium. FEMA prices the policy both ways and uses the lower result.
Does an elevation certificate get me out of a flood zone? Not on its own. You need a LOMA or LOMR-F from FEMA, which requires certified elevation data showing the lowest adjacent grade is at or above the BFE. Even then, your lender can still require flood insurance.
Do elevation certificates expire? No. A completed EC doesn't expire unless the building physically changes in a way that affects the certified elevation data, and it isn't invalidated when ownership changes.
Where can I find an existing elevation certificate? Try your county or community floodplain office, the previous owner, the builder, or the surveyor who did the original work.