flood elevation certificate help

GBob01 · May 19, 2016

OK guys, what is the easiest way to get a flood elevation certificate for my house in St Tammany.

Looking for new insurance when I refinance my house and never had to get one before (was never asked for one, and I guess I never had a good quote or best price.

Thanks for any help you can give

f350drvr · May 19, 2016

Just need to call a local survey company. I use Gilbert Kelly & Courturier in Nola. Usually about $300

weaksauce · May 19, 2016

If it was surveyed before you can possibly find a copy through them.

weaksauce · May 19, 2016

I used Dufrene Engineering

LACamper · May 20, 2016

Gilbert, Kelly, & Courturier- good choice.

BUT search everywhere first for an existing cert. The new one may not be as good as the original. (I'm dealing w/ a benchmark change for someone right now). The old policy may have a copy. parish planning and zoning. The builder may still have a file.

Richard in LA · May 20, 2016

LACamper said:
Gilbert, Kelly, & Courturier- good choice.

BUT search everywhere first for an existing cert. The new one may not be as good as the original. (I'm dealing w/ a benchmark change for someone right now). The old policy may have a copy. parish planning and zoning. The builder may still have a file.

THIS! Benchmark had changed after my home was built and there was an issue with the original elev cert not caught when I bought the home. I was able to contact the original surveyor and got it rectified, but not after shopping around. Jimmy Little out of Livingston charges $200 for an elevation cert, was the cheapest I found.

Barry J · May 20, 2016

I had one done. The guy came out and put a GPS thing on the ground. Sat in the truck for about 15 minutes and smoked two cigarettes. Picked the thing up and went back to the office. Got the certificate in the mail a couple of days later.

Richard in LA · May 20, 2016

Barry J said:
I had one done. The guy came out and put a GPS thing on the ground. Sat in the truck for about 15 minutes and smoked two cigarettes. Picked the thing up and went back to the office. Got the certificate in the mail a couple of days later.

Yup! That's about all they do! They also put a mark on a tree or something somewhere with the BFE

Emperor · May 20, 2016

The National Flood Insurance Program already has all of this; Free!

Go to their website and find out to get the elevations they are using; after all, that is the zone they will use when they assess your flood probabilities and how many insurance companies establish how deep they go up your butt on the rates!

dmiii · May 20, 2016

You can get a Flood Determination for free, what that tells you is the BFE (Base Flood Elevation) for homes in that area. The elevation certificate is specific to you individual property. It gives a lot of information such as elevations of lowest floor, if applicable second floor, if it's enclosed, highest and lowest adjacent ground.

LACamper · May 20, 2016

Emperor said:
The National Flood Insurance Program already has all of this; Free!

Go to their website and find out to get the elevations they are using; after all, that is the zone they will use when they assess your flood probabilities and how many insurance companies establish how deep they go up your butt on the rates!

Not quite. Like DMIII said, you get the BFE for free, but not the elevation of your house. The BFE tells you how high your house should be... sort of.
Keep in mind that the insurance regulations were written by the same group of people that wrote the tax code!

340six · May 26, 2016

LACamper said:
Not quite. Like DMIII said, you get the BFE for free, but not the elevation of your house. The BFE tells you how high your house should be... sort of.
Keep in mind that the insurance regulations were written by the same group of people that wrote the tax code!

This 100% they do the area but also do the home
When they did mine they marked the street light with BFE. But went to each corners of the home. As it was elevation of the home they wanted as well. Had them do the land survey while they were at it. I would consider that is they charge is reasonable.
It did come in handy as one person wanted to say part of the land was theirs, at a later date. But had it on papers and stakes in ground. One quick showing of the stakes and the papers it was no longer a question or debate.

GBob01 · May 26, 2016

f350drvr said:
Just need to call a local survey company. I use Gilbert Kelly & Courturier in Nola. Usually about $300

Spoke to them today, they are no longer taking jobs on the Northshore.

MyBabyDaddy · May 31, 2016

If they no longer take jobs in your area , I would recommend calling a contractor that you know and asking them who the use for surveys in your area.

I had a bad experience with Dufrene Surveying and Engineering and will no longer use them.

Alot of good surveyors don't advertise in the phone book. They more less operate by word of mouth and only use a cell phone.

oldman45 · Jun 4, 2016

A bit of learned wisdom on the topic. My house was financed for 15 yrs. It is not now nor ever has been in a flood plain. The Parish maps show it to have less than a 1% chance in 100 years of flooding. The original mortgage was for a shade3 over $30,000. Twelve years later, 2014, the balance is less than $40K and suddenly Bank of America wants flood insurance on the house. Surveys and studies have been sent to their mortgage dept showing it is not in a flood plain. They sent a letter back saying it is not up to me or some prior surveys. It is up to them that flood ins will be required. I paid to have a new survey done. It was even more favorable than the first. Same reaction from BoA.

They are charging me over $4000 a year for flood ins on a home that will be paid off in less than three years. I submitted a policy from State Farm at a cost way less than their coverage cost. They only accept their coverage carrier.

I went to refi and there is a 2.5% prepayment clause in their contract saying I have to pay 2.5% of the original amount if it is paid off early due to refinancing. It is cheaper on me to play their game than refinance.

The home next door was also financed by BoA and is two years into their mortgage. BoA is now doing the same with them.

FWIW: I live on a hill side. The back property line is 17.2 feet lower than the patio foundation. Over 700 homes in the area would flood before mine.

GBob01 · Jun 4, 2016

Not sure if the survey will do me much good if any at all. Even though I'm raised I still probably won't be high enough to make much difference.
Regardless, FEMA has me in a Flood zone A area, and any mortgage company will require me to carry the ins.
Not worried about my house flooding, I'm on the high side of the street and on a small ridge in my cul-de-sac.
My house and the ones on either side of me are raised, and we have never even had water flowing under the houses.
The homes across the street can not say that, most have had water in them.
Wound up having John Cummings and Assoc perform the survey Friday. Unfortunately I wasn't here to talk to them.

flood elevation certificate help

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