Obtaining an Elevation Certificate is a vital step for homeowners, property owners, and businesses alike. This certificate serves as a crucial tool in securing lower insurance premiums for homes, property additions, or commercial properties. By accurately measuring your property’s elevation, it allows insurance providers to assess flood risks more precisely. With this data in hand, you can potentially negotiate lower insurance premiums, ultimately saving you significant costs in the long run. Don’t overlook the benefits of an Elevation Certificate—it’s your key to smarter, cost-effective insurance decisions.

Selecting an experienced surveyor for your Elevation Certificate is crucial, especially in the state of Florida where regulations permit only surveyors, engineers, or architects to conduct this assessment. Surveyors, equipped with specialized tools and expertise, are typically the go-to professionals for this task, ensuring the highest level of accuracy. This stands in contrast to alternative methods that might utilize less precise techniques such as LiDAR or less reliable GPS data.

The cost may vary based on several factors, including the location, home size, foundation type (pilings or slab on grade), and flood area. It’s important to note that properties in Coastal zones may require additional information, potentially affecting the overall cost. At Plan Right Survey, we prioritize accuracy to help you secure the best possible insurance premium. Most of our customers find that an elevation certificate will pay for itself within a year after factoring insurance premium savings. Elevation certificates are good for the lifetime of the building, so the cost savings benefit our customers for years to come.

Our standard timeframe for project completion typically falls within the range of 2 to 3 weeks. During this period, we conduct thorough research on your property, make on-site visits to gather necessary data and photographs, and meticulously complete the required forms. Subsequently, we submit all documentation to the local flood administration official to ensure a comprehensive and timely process.

At this time, we exclusively accept payment in cash or by check, and we are actively working on implementing credit card processing for your convenience. Please note that credit card payment options will be available in the near future. Thank you for your patience as we strive to provide you with more payment choices.

Regarding Risk Rating 2.0, this innovative approach allows homeowners in select areas to secure flood insurance without the immediate need for an elevation certificate. Instead, it relies on aerial LiDAR data, which, while useful, doesn’t encompass the precision of survey-grade data or account for crucial factors like lowest machinery or finished floor height, or various building types. When you do decide to submit an elevation certificate alongside Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA adopts the more favorable premium between the two models, ensuring you get the best rate available. Importantly, there is no risk of an elevation certificate increasing your premium; it solely holds the potential to lower your costs, offering you financial advantages without penalty.