The Elevation Certificate is an important administrative tool of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, including the Baldwin County Floodplain Development Ordinance.
As part of the agreement for making flood insurance available within a community, the NFIP requires communities to adopt floodplain management regulations that establish minimum requirements for reducing flood losses. One requirement is for the community to obtain and maintain records documenting the elevation of the lowest floor, including basements, for all new and substantially improved buildings. The Elevation Certificate provides a method for documenting compliance with the community's floodplain management ordinance.
An Elevation Certificate must be prepared, signed, and sealed by a land surveyor or engineer authorized by law to certify elevation information and licensed in the State of Alabama.
The Baldwin County Building Department maintains all Elevation Certificates provided during the permitting and inspection process. Please note that there may not be an Elevation Certificate on file in the following situations:
- The property is vacant and no structures have ever been added.
- The structures on the property were not located within a flood zone at the time they were constructed.
- No permits have been issued for structures on the property.
Search for Elevation Certificates
If an Elevation Certificate cannot be located for a specific address, it is possible that a certificate is on file but has not yet been scanned into the database. For additional review, email the Building Department Permitting Office. If an Elevation Certificate is located, a copy will be provided by email.
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