California Surveyors Forums

FEMA will be implementing provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act.

See attached notification.

Thanks.
As a practicing hydrologic and hydraulic engineer, who understands the science behind the theoretical flood events FEMA generates their maps from, I just don't like to do elevation certificates. They are a pain in the neck.

Trust me folks. The science and engineering behind BFE determination is hocus pocus. They have been guessing at their terrain data since the start, and continue to do so. All in good effort to protect the public of course, and I support the idea.

But to go out and adequately perform an elevation certificate survey requires substantial resources, photo documentation, exhibit preparation, analysis of stream profiles and cross sections, etc.

The public wants to save maybe $1000 per year in insurance costs. I say I can give you an EL Cert for $2500 (I do not want to touch an El Cert for under that price) but it may not help you. How is that for marketing strategy?

Thanks for the new work. Now let the charletans enter.

I agree that most of what we do for the fees some charge is not even close to the liability involved.
A recent article in America Surveyor states a couple of fees "1/6 of the land tax free forever, another mentions getting $100 per settler (2 months wages). And that was when land was cheap, not like today.
With our litigious society and surveyors chomping at the bit to call another surveyors work wrong, like Mr P's friend in San Diego, I'm not sure I ever want to do another lot survey, even for 10% of the accessed value.