The single most important number on a shore property is how high your lowest floor sits above the flood. We measure it, document it on the current FEMA form, and put it in the hands of your insurer, lender and town.
A FEMA Elevation Certificate is a standardized form, completed and sealed by a licensed land surveyor, that records the elevation of your building relative to the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) for your flood zone. On a barrier island like Lavallette — much of it mapped Zone AE or VE — that certificate is what determines whether your flood insurance premium is fair or punishing.
We shoot your lowest floor, the lowest adjacent grade, attached garages and the elevation of mechanical equipment, all tied to the NAVD 88 vertical datum that FEMA requires. The result is a defensible document the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), private flood carriers and your mortgage lender can all rely on.
We run this survey across the Ocean County shore and mainland — from Lavallette, Seaside Heights and Ortley Beach to Toms River, Brick, Point Pleasant Beach and Long Beach Island — out of our Lavallette office. See all service areas →
It depends on how high your lowest floor sits above the Base Flood Elevation. Each foot of additional elevation, or 'freeboard,' generally reduces NFIP premiums — and homes documented above the BFE can sometimes qualify to remove the flood-zone requirement entirely through a LOMA. The certificate is what gives your insurer the data to rate you correctly.
For a typical single-family shore home, fieldwork is brief and most certificates are completed within a few business days of the site visit. If you're up against a closing or policy deadline, tell us — fast turnaround is one of the reasons attorneys keep our number.
Possibly. If flood maps for your area were revised, if you elevated or renovated the home, or if your insurer is using a pre-2010 form, a current certificate tied to the effective FIRM panel may be required. We can review what you have and tell you.
The elevation certificate documents your building's elevation. A LOMA (Letter of Map Amendment) is FEMA's official determination — supported by that certificate — that your structure is above the BFE and can be removed from the high-risk flood zone. We prepare the survey data both processes require.
Yes. We work AE, VE and coastal high-hazard areas across Lavallette, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Ortley Beach, Mantoloking and Long Beach Island regularly. Coastal zones are routine for our shore crews.
Send us the property and your deadline — we'll price it and schedule it fast.