What is a Flood Zone Determination?

Flood risk is an important factor to consider when purchasing a property in South Florida. However, in most cases, homeowners simply fail to address this fact. It’s not uncommon for properties to be misidentified or for homeowners to use free online tools to assess the flood risk. 

As you can guess, this can be very problematic and may leave you dealing with significant consequences once you purchase the property or at the very least, incur excessive insurance premiums. 

The only way to approach assessing the flood risk is by checking the flood zone status with an official flood zone determination report made by a specialist. This service can deliver data about flood risk with pinpoint accuracy and ascertain if the property you’re looking to buy is in a high-risk flood zone. 

What is a Flood Zone Determination Report?

Flood zone determination clarifies which flood zone a property is located in. The company providing you with this report cross-references current FEMA flood maps, aerial photographs, and county parcel maps to figure out which flood zone applies to the property in question.

Generally speaking, flood zone determination is often required to meet lending and insurance requirements. For instance, your insurance agent may require a flood zone determination report before providing you with a quote. Otherwise, you may order this report for a variety of reasons, such as risk awareness, building code compliance, business analysis, etc. 

What Does the Report Contain?

Primarily, a flood zone determination report will include information about the flood zone that the property falls in. Still, this is typically not enough for the insurer to determine whether the property poses a significant flood risk. Hence, the report often contains other information such as (but not limited to):

• Base flood elevation: this is a measurement of the potential elevation of the flood. In other words, it determines how much water can penetrate the property. Combined with the flood information, this particular number can influence your insurance premiums.
• Vertical datum conversion: represents a reference point used to measure the elevation. There are two vertical datums used in the USA and in some cases, the datum of the structure and the flood’s map datum may conflict with each other. Thus, it might be necessary to convert the two elevations to the same datum for easy comparison. The conversion factor is complex, but not a big deal for a professional. 
• Newly mapped structures: FEMA maps keep changing, which means that it may be necessary to check whether the property still falls within the original flood zone. For example, you may purchase property that now belongs in a Special Flood Hazard Area but didn’t when it was originally built. You can use this report to qualify for special flood insurance rates.

As you can see, a flood zone determination report is quite comprehensive and its scope dwarfs almost every free online tool.

Example of the Flood Zone’s Impact on the Insurance Rates

We must stress that flood zone determination extends way past the insurance or lender requirements. It can help you ascertain your own risks of owning the property. Since the Sunshine State is no stranger to floods, you want to ensure that you’re buying something that won’t flood during the hurricane season. 

In the context of insurance, there are various flood zones. Some of the most dangerous ones include Special Flood Hazard Areas such as zones A and AE. Due to the increased risk of flooding, you will be required to purchase a flood insurance policy. 

On the other hand, a property may fall into flood zone X, which is a designation that indicates an area with a low risk of floods. Many wonder does flood zone X requires flood insurance and the answer is no. 

Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you’re completely risk-free. Since the flood risk is low, you can get flood coverage at a minimal price - which is worth it for the peace of mind you will get during the hurricane season. 

Why Order a Flood Zone Determination Report at the Time of the Home Inspection

Most individuals order flood zone determination too late in the purchasing process or they ignore it altogether. This is despite confirming the flood status of a structure early in the process is the most reasonable thing to do.

If you’re buying a piece of property, here’s why you should schedule a flood zone determination:

1. Gain access to all information early

Learning about the flood zone of the property from the get-go benefits both you and the seller. For instance, it helps evaluate the cost of insurance and the impact of the flood zone on your debt-to-income ratio. It may also help you renegotiate the price to account for the cost of insurance.

Lastly, you can also pursue flood mitigation options as early as possible, which is a huge plus in our book.

2. Avoid unreliable online resources

While you can certainly use online resources to determine the flood zone of the property, more often than not, these tools will be inaccurate or downright wrong. You also get limited results, such as no elevation certificates online or even preliminary maps.

They also lack clarity and since they are free, there is practically no support. 

3. Purchase with confidence

Receiving a report from a certified flood zone determination specialist helps you approach the sales process with more confidence. The data they provide is deep, clear, and accurate and includes everything from preliminary to current FEMA map overlays. 

Since you’re working with an actual company, you also get that extra layer of protection that what you’re looking at is as accurate as can be. 

Can’t Put a Price on Data

A home inspection is the most important step of the entire purchasing process. But even though it’s a comprehensive check, with a home inspection, you can only get half of the picture. 

Fortunately, here at ​Certified Inspectors, we also offer the option of including an insured flood zone determination in your home inspection report to bolster our service. We have partnered up with Western Technologies Group, industry leaders in flood zone determinations, to deliver you a comprehensive report that provides you with the most precise information regarding the safety of the property. 

With us on your side, you can rest assured your investment is as safe and sound as it can be.

Call (561) 570-6311 or fill out our contact form to learn more about our services.