Floodplain Analysis: Is your flood insurance higher than it should be?

FLOOD ANALYSIS FOR HOMEOWNERS AND BUSINESSES

Do you pay exorbant premiums for flood insurance when you don't need to?  Many structures are required to pay a premium because they are considered to be in the 100-year floodplain, Flood insurance costs several times more when properties are identified to be in a flood plain.  Oftentimes, people are notified they are in floodplain years after they have purchased a home because they are notified at a later date that a recent floodplain study has indicated that their property is in a special flood hazard area. 

FLOOD ANALYSIS FOR LAND OWNERS

Do you have a tract of land in a Zone "A" or Zone "AE" Floodplain and yo uthink it may be much larger than it really is?  With the value of land, incorrect flood delineations can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars when incorrectly studied or delineated, as floodplain areas are worth a fraction of the value of land outside the floodplain.  Often flood boundaries are delineated from old, inaccurate information, and in the case of tracts large and small, a flood study with more accurate information can often recapture valuable land.  Because flood studies usually err on the side of conservatism, in most cases land is removed from the 100-year floodplain with a more detailed analysis.

WHY DO FLOOD BOUNDARIES CHANGE?

New updates to the Flood Maps used to determine which properties are in floodplain are made every 5-10 years, and sometimes new areas are studied.  Oftentimes, an appromixate analysis is done, using very conservative values, that adds properties into an area labeled zone "A."  This Zone "A", or Approximate flood zone, often uses whatever information is readily available and may not be current nor accurate.

THE SOLUTION

Intentio Consulting + Engineering has the expertise in flood hydrology and hydraulics, as well as permitting with local governments and with FEMA to analyze and properly delinate 100-year flood zones and remove properties incorrectly included in these zones, which can save you on premiums and provide additional developable land.  The combined savings on insurance premiums and increase in property values provide instant savings that often immediately pays for our services. 

Intentio Consulting + Engineering works to identify properties that are likely not to be in the floodplain and notifies those homeowners and businesses of potential savings. Intentio also provides homeowners and businesses with a free initial evaluation to let you know if the flood area on your property is or is not correctly identified.   Note that this does not mean that if we determine a property is not in a floodplain that your structure will not be covered by flood insurance.  It does mean that your flood premium would be drastically reduced, and that flood insurance could likely become voluntary rather than mandatory.  In all instances where properties are in proximity to a flood plain, and in many other instances where localized flooding could occur, we recommend that you carry flood insurance.

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Intentio Consulting + Engineering, LLC, can provide you with the services you need to complete your next project. Contact us Now.

Located in metropolitan Atlanta, Intentio Consulting + Engineering, LLC offers our services throughout North Georgia, including the following locations: