Eckman Engineering LLC
land surveying (603) 433-1354

What is a LOMA?

If you are currently paying for flood insurance or have recently been told you need to acquire flood insurance and you don’t think your house or business is at risk for flooding, a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) can release the requirement from your lender.

Flood maps, published by FEMA, are a good guide to flooding risk in areas that have been studied in detail. However, in many areas the flood zones were not determined by a detailed study, but instead were established without knowing the potential extents of flooding or the actual risk any given structure within the mapped zone may be truly susceptible to.

If your home or business is mapped in a flood zone erroneously, it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over the years. Having the building on your property removed from the flood zone via a LOMA can save you thousands. The flood risk will be reclassified as minimal risk, allowing you to maintain flood insurance at a far lower rate should you choose to.

Eckman Engineering LLC has helped dozens of home and business owners obtain LOMAs for structures on their properties.

Our success rate in obtaining LOMAs is over 90%. CONTACT US TODAY to see if we can help you as well.

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What is a LOMA?
A LOMA is a Letter of Map Amendment. It is a document from FEMA which states that while a structure, or portion of property, is mapped within the flood zone; it is not at risk for flooding based on the elevation of the structure, or portion of the property.
How will a LOMA help me?
If a property is mapped in a flood zone the lender will almost always require that flood insurance be maintained on the property. In most cases the lender will remove this requirement if a LOMA is obtained for the structure on the property. It is up to the lender to determine their insurance requirements. A LOMA will reclassify the risk assessment at the structure to minimal risk, thereby greatly reducing premiums if you wish to maintain flood insurance on the property.
Will my property qualify for a LOMA?
FEMA uses very simple criteria when reviewing LOMA requests. If the Lowest Adjacent Grade (LAG) is above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE), the structure will be removed from the flood zone. That is to say, if the BFE of the flood zone is 419.3’ and the lowest piece of ground which touches the building is at or above that elevation a LOMA will be issued for the structure.

There is no way to know for certain if a property qualifies or not until a field survey is completed. However, if a home or business owner feels that, based on their own historical observations, their property is not at risk for flooding, they generally have a good chance at being eligible for a LOMA.
How long will it take?
Once we have completed the field survey and have the information in the office the time it will take to obtain the LOMA will vary based on the flood zone your property is mapped in. If it is in a Zone AE, and no fill has been placed to raise the grade above the Base Flood Elevation, we can obtain the LOMA virtually instantaneously via FEMA’s eLOMA system. For all other zones, and if fill has been placed, the paperwork needs to be submitted to FEMA and it generally takes between 45-60 days.
How much will it cost?
We have set fees based on the location of the property, request type, and flood zone, we will be more than happy to provide a free estimate along with more information, call us today! These fees include all work from field to office and we take care of all the paper work and correspondence with FEMA. There are no hidden costs. Additionally, if a LOMA is issued for a structure that is currently insured, and the requirement for insurance is subsequently dropped, you can get the previous year’s premiums refunded if you meet certain criteria (http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/9dcb0056d7f7f019a1e7fedcd3ade736/13_cancellations_508_oct2013.pdf Item 19).

Useful links
http://www.fema.gov/letter-map-amendment-letter-map-revision-based-fill-process
http://www.nh.gov/oep/planning/programs/fmp/
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/flood/