Types of Certificates

While there is only one Elevation Certificate (EC), yet it’s used to document three different construction phases. Which is why multiple Elevation Certificates may be required for a single project.  Line "C1" of an EC denotes which phase that certificate represents. 

Example of how line "C1" on a FEMA Elevation Certificate may appear

Construction Drawings

  • Used during the plan review/approval phase, to establish the height of grade and proper elevation of a proposed building after construction has been completed.

Building Under Construction

  • Construction shouldn’t continue beyond the first floor until this second certificate has been reviewed and approved by the City’s Floodplain Administrator.
  • Once the first floor of a new building has been placed or older building elevated, this type of certificate is required to demonstrate the building is at the proper height, before construction is completed and thus considerably less expensive to correct should the building not be at the correct elevation.

Finished Construction

  • All work on the building must be completed - including landscaping - before the surveyor is charged with completing this certificate.
  • Required before a final Certificate of Occupancy or final inspection is approved.
  • This "finished construction" phase EC is the version used for insurance and mortgage purposes.

Example