Clarify the request before ordering work
A lender, insurer, municipality, or FEMA application may ask for different information, so a Washtenaw County buyer should not order a generic 'flood survey' without identifying the required deliverable. The phrase may mean FEMA's elevation certificate, but it can also be confused with a boundary, topographic, or site survey.
Ask the receiving party for the form, edition, required sections, and purpose in writing. A Michigan-licensed surveyor can then confirm whether the requested work falls within surveying practice and what site access or records are needed.
Record the request, provider, due date, and result alongside the rest of the property's diligence.
What an elevation certificate records
FEMA's elevation certificate collects property, building, flood-map, and elevation information. Depending on the building and map, it may record the lowest-floor elevation, adjacent grades, attached garage or enclosure information, flood openings, and the applicable base flood elevation.
The measurements are tied to specified vertical and horizontal reference systems. That is why an online contour estimate, tax GIS elevation, or a phone's location reading is not a substitute for the professionally certified portions of the form.
What the certificate cannot decide
An elevation certificate is evidence, not a FEMA map-change decision. It does not redraw a hazard boundary, approve a Letter of Map Amendment, or compel a lender or insurer to reach a particular result.
It also does not document every source of water. Grading, groundwater, sewer backup, storm-drain capacity, sump equipment, and prior repairs call for separate records and inspections. A measured elevation should not be presented as a promise that the house will remain dry.
Check existing records first
Start by looking up the flood zone by address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Save the current effective panel and check for effective Letters of Map Change. The flood-area map guide explains how to compare that record with MapWashtenaw and local information.
Ask the seller, local floodplain administrator, and other transaction parties whether an existing elevation certificate or relevant map-change document is available. Provide any older form to the surveyor or receiving party and let that professional decide whether it remains suitable; do not assume reuse merely because the building appears unchanged.
Match the document to the decision
For financing, ask the lender what it requires for the specific building and loan. For coverage, ask a licensed insurance professional whether elevation data is needed and how it will be used in the quote. Michigan EGLE notes that elevation certificates are not required for flood insurance in every case.
For development or permitting, contact the local floodplain administrator and Michigan EGLE as applicable to the address and proposed work. For a FEMA Letter of Map Change, follow FEMA's current submission instructions and confirm what professional certification is required.
Order the document the decision requires
Locate the current panel and any existing elevation or survey records before ordering new work. Tell the lender, insurer, surveyor, or local office which decision is pending so it can specify the document required.