If you've ever been told your home is 'in a flood zone,' and you looked at your lot and thought 'that doesn't seem right,' you may have already brushed against the idea behind a LOMA. Here is what one actually is, and when it is worth the effort.
A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is an official FEMA document that says: 'the structure on this specific parcel is above the base flood elevation and should not be mapped into the Special Flood Hazard Area.'
If FEMA issues one for your home, your mortgage lender generally cannot require you to carry NFIP flood insurance. You can still choose to carry flood coverage — and in many cases should — but the mandatory-purchase requirement goes away.
LOMAs work best when FEMA's floodplain boundary cuts through your lot but your actual home is on higher ground. Common fact patterns:
• The house sits on a knoll or rise while the floodplain follows a creek or drainage at the edge of the parcel.
• The lot was re-graded or filled before the current map was drawn.
• A wide lot puts the structure well back from the mapped boundary.
LOMAs are about the specific structure, not the lot. If your home itself is below base flood elevation — which is common in older coastal and riverfront homes — a LOMA is not the right tool. Elevation certificates and flood-policy right-sizing are.
The LOMA application to FEMA is free. The cost is the licensed surveyor who prepares the elevation data FEMA requires. Survey fees vary by market but generally run in the several-hundred-dollar range.
Before spending the money, ask a local surveyor whether they've had success with LOMAs on parcels similar to yours. A good surveyor will tell you up front whether your lot looks like a strong candidate.
You'll receive a LOMA from FEMA for your address. Send a copy to your mortgage servicer and your insurance carrier. The servicer should remove the mandatory flood-insurance requirement on your loan.
If you still want to carry flood coverage voluntarily — especially in coastal, low-lying, or previously flooded areas — you can. Voluntary flood is typically much less expensive than mandatory flood in a mapped-in zone.