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Flood Figures

Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA): formally correcting a flood map

A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is FEMA’s official determination that a specific structure or lot, shown inside a Special Flood Hazard Area on the flood map, actually stands on natural ground at or above the base flood elevation — and is therefore removed, on paper, from the SFHA. Flood maps are drawn at map scale; individual buildings on high spots get swept inside zone boundaries. The LOMA is the correction mechanism: property-specific, evidence-based, and free of any FEMA review fee for the standard single-structure case.

What a LOMA does

A successful LOMA:

  • Ends the federal insurance mandate. The mandatory purchase requirement no longer applies to the structure. The lender is notified through the determination process; most lenders drop the requirement, though a lender retains contractual discretion to require coverage anyway.
  • Does not physically change anything. The determination says the base flood, per the effective study, does not reach the structure’s ground. It is a statement about the map’s accuracy, not about water.
  • Does not erase the option to insure. Coverage remains available after a LOMA; premiums under Risk Rating 2.0 were already priced on the building’s actual elevation variables rather than the zone label, so the LOMA’s main financial effect runs through the lender requirement rather than the rate.

The evidence

The application turns on certified elevation data — an elevation certificate or equivalent survey showing the lowest adjacent grade (for a structure) or lowest lot elevation at or above the base flood elevation, on natural ground. FEMA compares the certified elevations against the effective flood study. Key distinctions:

  • Natural grade vs. fill. The LOMA is for land that was always high. Ground raised by lawfully placed fill routes through the companion process — a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F), which carries a review fee and additional community acknowledgment requirements.
  • Structure vs. lot. Removal can be requested for the structure alone (common: the house sits on the knoll, the backyard floods) or the whole parcel; the mandatory purchase rule cares about the structure.
  • Zones without BFEs. In approximate Zone A, where no base flood elevations are published, FEMA may require developing an estimated BFE — additional engineering the detailed zones (AE, VE) don’t need.

The process

Applications go through FEMA’s Online LOMC portal (or the paper MT-EZ form for simple cases). FEMA’s standard single-lot/single-structure LOMA review charges no fee; the applicant’s real cost is the surveyor’s elevation certificate. FEMA issues a determination letter — the LOMA itself, an out-as-shown determination, or a denial explaining what the study shows. Processing runs on FEMA’s published service standards (typically weeks, not days). The letter attaches permanently to the property’s map record: determination companies, lenders, and future buyers see it alongside the FIRM, and map viewers list LOMCs by panel.

A LOMA survives routine map updates unless a new study changes the underlying hydrology — new preliminary maps list superseded LOMCs, and FEMA revalidates unaffected ones after revisions.

After a LOMA: the insurance decision reopens

With the mandate gone, coverage becomes the optional decision framed in do I need flood insurance? — now for a building documented to stand above the base flood. The neutral inputs: the certified elevation margin, the area’s claim history (this site’s ZIP pages publish claims since 1978, reachable from Florida, Texas, and Louisiana), the post-LOMA premium, and the 30-day waiting period governing any later re-entry. A policyholder who cancels after a LOMA and re-buys years later starts as new business — the continuity mechanics in the glide path guide apply.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my house out of a flood zone?

Technically, out of the SFHA: obtain certified elevation data showing the structure on natural ground at or above the base flood elevation, and apply to FEMA for a LOMA through the Online LOMC portal. The map is amended for your property if the evidence holds.

How much does a LOMA cost?

FEMA charges no review fee for a standard LOMA. The elevation certificate or survey behind it is a private cost — local survey-market pricing. (LOMR-F and broader map revisions do carry FEMA fees.)

Does a LOMA lower flood insurance premiums?

Its direct effect is on the lender requirement. Premiums were already elevation-based under Risk Rating 2.0; dropping or keeping coverage after a LOMA is the owner’s choice, and this site describes that choice without making it.

What if FEMA denies the LOMA?

The denial states the controlling elevations. Options are engineering-based: better survey data, an estimated-BFE analysis in approximate zones, or — where ground was altered — the LOMR-F route. The determination can be re-requested with new evidence at any time.

Does a LOMA transfer to the next owner?

Yes. It is a determination about the property, recorded against the map, and remains effective through ownership changes unless superseded by a new flood study.

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