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What is a LOMA — and does your home qualify?

A Letter of Map Amendment is FEMA's official correction for a building mapped into a flood zone it sits above. It's the mechanism behind every legitimate "get out of flood insurance" story.

The basics

What it does	Officially removes your structure from the Special Flood Hazard Area — the mandatory insurance requirement goes with it
FEMA fee	$0 for a standard single-structure LOMA
What it requires	Field-surveyed elevations certified by a licensed land surveyor or engineer (typically $800–$2,000)
Timeline	Days to weeks via eLOMA (licensed professionals filing electronically); up to 60 days by mail
The test	Lowest adjacent grade of the structure at or above the Base Flood Elevation

The smart order of operations

The expensive mistake is hiring the surveyor first. If your ground turns out to be below the BFE, the survey money is gone and the LOMA is dead. The right order:

1. Screen first. USGS LiDAR elevation data (accurate to roughly half a foot) compared against the governing BFE tells you your odds before you spend real money. That's our $129 Elevation Evidence Report — verdict, margin in feet, map exhibits, and the FIRM citations your surveyor needs.
2. Survey if the screen is strong. The surveyor's Elevation Certificate is the evidence FEMA actually accepts — and our report typically shortens their research time.
3. File. No FEMA fee; eLOMA if your professional offers it.
4. Deliver FEMA's letter to your lender and insurer. Requirement lifted; unused premium typically refunded pro-rata.

LOMA vs. LOMR-F vs. LOMR

LOMA: your structure sits on natural high ground (no FEMA fee). LOMR-F: your pad was raised with engineered fill (FEMA review fee applies). LOMR: FEMA revises the map for a whole area — this is how entire neighborhoods get removed at once, and why it's worth checking whether you're already out.