Frequently Asked Flood Zone Questions

Your Questions Answered

Take the guesswork out of your flood zone quest by reviewing some of our most common questions below.

Why does my house show as being in a flood zone when it shouldn’t be?

When FEMA started the National Flood Insurance Program, they were on a tight schedule and budget. They used very generalized methods for determining flood zones. The area surrounding your property might be in a high-risk flood zone, even though your house might clearly be high enough that it should not be in a high-risk flood zone.

Why are your fees not determined the same way as other flood zone correction services?

I like keeping my pricing fair, reasonable, and straightforward. Most flood zone correction services charge a percentage of your flood insurance premium. I don’t believe this is right. After all, it doesn’t take any more time to remove a structure with a $2,000 premium than it does to remove a structure with a $1,000 premium. So why should a person be charged more, just because their premium is more? When you use FloodZero, you know up front how much you will pay.

How long does the process take?

The process can take as long as 90 days, but we touch base with FEMA on a weekly basis to make sure your application is moving through the process as quickly as possible.

If you cannot get my house out of the flood zone, how quickly will I receive my money back?

If we are unable to successfully have your house removed from the flood zone, all you have to do is email us and request a refund. We will generally issue a refund the same day.

Do all flood zones require flood insurance?

No. Only a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) requires flood insurance. In other zones, flood insurance is optional.

Yes, even if you are not in a Special Flood Hazard Area, you can still get flood insurance. You are entitled to a preferred risk policy (PRP), which can be as low as a few hundred dollars per year.

The process can take as long as 90 days, but we touch base with FEMA on a weekly basis to make sure your application is moving through the process as quickly as possible.

If my home is removed from the SFHA, will I receive any of my flood insurance premium back?

Yes, in many cases you are entitled to a full refund of your current year’s flood insurance premium.

Does the flood insurance requirement impact the value of my house?

Absolutely. It affects the value of your house in two ways. First, because flood insurance is an additional expense, having a house in a SHFA decreases the relative value of your house. Second, because people do not want to pay for extra insurance, it decreases the marketability of your house.