FAQ
Is this official, or affiliated with FEMA?
No. We are an independent service and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by FEMA. We read FEMA's own published flood map and present it in plain English for one address. The data is FEMA's; the report and the plain-language explanation are ours.
How accurate is it? Is it for the point or the whole parcel?
We look up the exact spot your address maps to, then read the FEMA flood zone right there. That is far more precise than a ZIP-level lookup, but it is still a single point, not a survey of your whole lot. A large or irregular parcel can touch more than one zone, so the point may not capture every part of the property. For anything with legal or financial weight, confirm at the FEMA Map Service Center.
If I am in a flood zone, do I have to buy flood insurance?
It depends on the zone and your mortgage. If the property sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area (the high-risk A and V zones) and you have a federally-backed mortgage, your lender is required to make you carry flood insurance. If you own the home outright, it is strongly advised in those zones but not legally forced. In the moderate and minimal risk X zones, it is not required, though flooding can still happen there.
Can my flood zone change?
Yes. FEMA revises flood maps over time as new studies are done and as levees, development, or map amendments take effect. A property can move into or out of a high-risk zone. Your report reflects the map as of the day you run it, so it is worth rechecking if you are told the map has been updated for your area.
What if my address is not in a mapped zone?
Some points fall outside FEMA's mapped high-risk areas, and a few sit in areas FEMA has not studied (Zone D, undetermined). We report this honestly rather than forcing a label. Being outside a mapped high-risk area usually means lower risk and no insurance requirement, but it does not mean zero risk. Undetermined means the risk is simply unknown, not low.
Is this a flood determination for my lender?
No. Lenders order a specific product called a Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form for their loan files, and this report is not that. It is an independent, plain-English read of the current FEMA map for your address. It is excellent for deciding whether to make an offer, shop insurance, or ask a seller questions, but your lender will run their own determination.
Do you offer refunds if my address will not resolve?
We check that your address resolves to a valid location before we charge you, so a bad or unrecognized address is caught up front rather than after payment. Because the report is generated and delivered instantly once you pay, we do not refund a completed report afterward. If you hit trouble entering an address, fix it before checkout and no charge is made.
