Elevation certificates, flood zone determinations, and Letters of Map Amendment — the documents that govern flood insurance requirements and development in flood-prone areas.
FEMA flood maps cover a significant portion of Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, and Genesee counties. If your property is shown inside a Special Flood Hazard Area, your lender will require flood insurance — often costing $2,000 to $6,000 or more per year. That requirement is mandatory. It cannot be waived.
But in many cases, the flood map is simply wrong. FEMA maps are updated periodically, but they can't capture every property's actual grade. If your lowest floor and lowest adjacent grade are at or above the Base Flood Elevation, you may qualify for removal — permanently eliminating the mandatory insurance requirement. The process is formal, precise, and requires a licensed surveyor. The financial stakes make it worth pursuing.
FEMA flood maps are updated periodically but can't capture every property's actual grade. If your lowest floor is above the Base Flood Elevation, you may qualify for removal from the flood zone — eliminating mandatory insurance permanently.
Flood insurance required by a federal lender can run $2,000 to $6,000 or more per year — and it compounds over the life of the loan. A LOMA that removes your property from the flood zone eliminates that requirement permanently, not just for the current owner.
FEMA's Elevation Certificate must be signed and sealed by a licensed land surveyor, registered engineer, or architect. It is a legal document with professional liability behind it — not a form anyone can fill out, and not something a homeowner can self-certify.
From a single elevation certificate for a lender requirement to a full LOMA application to remove a property from the flood zone — here's what each service involves and what you receive.
When You Need It
Required by lenders for any property in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Needed to rate flood insurance accurately. Prerequisite for a LOMA or LOMR application. Required for certificate of occupancy on new construction in flood zones.
What It Is
FEMA Form 086-0-33 — the official document that records your property's lowest floor elevation, lowest adjacent grade, flood zone designation, and Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Without it, flood insurance cannot be accurately rated and a LOMA cannot be applied for.
What We Do
What You Receive
Completed FEMA Elevation Certificate, signed and sealed by a NYS Licensed PLS — the only version accepted by FEMA, lenders, and insurance carriers. This document is tied to the property permanently and follows it through every sale and refinance.
When You Need It
Before starting a LOMA application. When you believe your property may have been incorrectly included in the flood zone. When you're purchasing a property showing in the SFHA and want to evaluate removal feasibility.
What It Is
Before committing to a formal LOMA application, a flood zone analysis determines whether your property has a viable case. We review the current FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Map), the supporting FIRM profile data, and your parcel's actual elevations.
What We Do
What You Receive
Written determination memo with elevation comparison and LOMA feasibility assessment — a clear answer before you spend time and money on the formal application.
When You Need It
When both the lowest floor AND the lowest adjacent grade are at or above the BFE. No fill was placed to achieve this — the natural ground is simply higher than the flood map shows. The mandatory flood insurance requirement is eliminated upon LOMA issuance.
What It Is
A LOMA is a formal determination from FEMA that a specific property or structure has been incorrectly included in the Special Flood Hazard Area. It does not change the FIRM — it documents that the existing natural ground and/or lowest floor elevation is at or above the BFE without any fill having been placed.
What We Do
What You Receive
FEMA LOMA determination letter removing the property or structure from the SFHA — eliminating mandatory flood insurance. The letter is permanent and transfers with the property.
When You Need It
When fill was legally placed on the property after the FIRM effective date. The property is still shown in the SFHA. The finished floor and lowest adjacent grade elevations — achieved through fill — are at or above the BFE.
What It Is
A LOMR-F documents that fill has been placed on a property since the FIRM was published, raising the ground surface above the Base Flood Elevation. More complex than a LOMA — requires engineering data demonstrating the fill won't divert floodwater onto neighboring properties.
What We Do
What You Receive
FEMA LOMR-F determination letter removing the property from the SFHA, with updated flood map reference noting the fill area. More involved than a LOMA, but the result is the same: mandatory flood insurance eliminated.
Not sure which applies to your property? Start with a flood zone determination consultation. We'll review your current FIRM designation, compare it to your actual elevations, and tell you exactly what's possible — before you commit to an application.
FEMA compliance deliverables from McMahon LaRue are formal, signed, and sealed professional documents — accepted by FEMA, lenders, insurance carriers, and reviewing agencies.
FEMA Elevation Certificate
Form 086-0-33, signed and sealed by a NYS Licensed PLS. The only version accepted by FEMA, lenders, and flood insurance carriers. Permanent record tied to the property.
Flood Zone Determination Memo
Written analysis comparing your parcel's actual elevations to the BFE — a clear feasibility assessment before committing to a LOMA application.
LOMA Application Package
Complete MT-EZ or MT-1 application submitted to FEMA with all supporting documentation and elevation data.
LOMR-F Application Package
Complete MT-2 application with engineering data, fill certification, and elevation certificate for post-fill properties.
FEMA Correspondence & Tracking
MLA manages all FEMA correspondence, responds to requests for additional information, and tracks your application through to determination.
Final FEMA Determination Letter
The official FEMA letter removing the property from the SFHA — what you give to your lender and insurance carrier to eliminate mandatory flood insurance.
Fairport, NY
Letter of Map Amendment resulting in removal from FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area — documenting that finished floor and lowest adjacent grade are both above the BFE, eliminating mandatory flood insurance.
Webster, NY
FEMA Elevation Certificate for a lender-required flood insurance determination on a residential property in Zone AE — documenting lowest floor and lowest adjacent grade for accurate insurance rating.
Ontario County, NY
Letter of Map Revision for a commercial development where engineered fill raised the site above the BFE — full MT-2 application with engineering data and fill certification.
Whether you need an elevation certificate for a lender, or want to explore removing your property from the flood zone entirely — we can tell you what's possible and what it takes. Let's talk.