FEMA Seeks Comments on Flood Elevation Forms
Published Date: 6/1/2026
Notice
Summary
FEMA wants to keep collecting info using Elevation and Floodproofing Certificates to help manage flood risks and keep communities safe. If you build or improve a home or business in a flood zone, these forms show your property meets safety rules. You’ve got until July 31, 2026, to share your thoughts—no extra costs, just a chance to help shape the process!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Elevation/Floodproofing Required in NFIP Areas
If you build or substantially improve a home or business in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the community must require the lowest floor (including basements) to be elevated above the base flood elevation under 44 CFR 60.3(c)(2) and (3). Non-residential buildings may instead be floodproofed to meet the standard in 44 CFR 60.3(c)(3)(ii); FEMA grants limited basement exceptions under 44 CFR 60.6(b) and (c).
Elevation Certificate Can Affect Insurance Premiums
If you hold NFIP flood insurance, you may submit an Elevation Certificate to provide elevation information for premium rating instead of FEMA-sourced elevation data. You can also use the Elevation Certificate to demonstrate eligibility for the Machinery & Equipment premium discount.
Paperwork Burden and Estimated Costs
FEMA estimates 3,517 respondents and 3,517 responses for this collection, totaling 12,735 annual burden hours and an estimated total annual respondent cost of $680,316. Respondents are listed as primarily surveyors, architects, or engineers, and individual property owners may also complete parts of the Elevation Certificate.
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Key Dates
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Related Federal Register Documents
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2026-09945 — Proposed Flood Hazard Determinations for Gaston County, North Carolina, and Incorporated Areas
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2026-09847 — Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations
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2026-09848 — Final Flood Hazard Determinations
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FEMA is asking for your thoughts on keeping the current forms that states and Tribes use to ask for disaster help, like damage checks, extra aid, appeals, and cost share changes. This helps make sure the paperwork stays simple and useful. If you want to share your ideas, do it by July 31, 2026!