Elevation certificates for a new home in Tampa

What is an elevation certificate?

An elevation certificate is a FEMA form that records the elevations of a building and its lot, so the numbers can be checked against the flood map. For a new home, it is the paper proof that the house sits at the height the plans promised.

The City of Tampa links a fillable version of the FEMA form on its flood page. The form number it names is FEMA Form 086-0-33. Hillsborough County names a different form number, FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-152, in its checklist. Forms are revised from time to time, so download the current version from the office that issues your permit.

A surveyor or engineer fills the form in using field measurements. The key numbers are the lowest floor, the ground next to the building, and the flood zone and base flood elevation from the map. If you need a refresher on that map number, read our guide on base flood elevation and freeboard.

The certificate is also a record the City keeps. The City says it will provide, on request, “elevation certificates for new and substantially improved structures in the SFHA.” You can ask for the ones on file for an address, which helps when you are comparing lots.

An elevation certificate is not the same as a flood zone determination or an insurance quote. It documents the building. The flood map and the insurer decide the rest.

Who can complete one?

A Professional Engineer or a Professional Land Surveyor can complete one. The City of Tampa flood page states that elevation certificates “must be completed by a Professional Engineer (PE) or Professional Land Surveyor (PLS).”

Neither the City nor the County page lists approved firms. To find one, ask your builder, designer or the lender.

Plan for the surveyor early. The certificate depends on measurements at several points in the build, so the surveyor must be able to visit the site at the right times. A surveyor who is hired late can slow a schedule that is otherwise on track.

When is an elevation certificate needed in Tampa?

An elevation certificate is needed when you apply for a construction permit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. The City of Tampa says so in one sentence: “If you wish to build in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), you will need to provide an Elevation Certificate with your construction permit application.”

FEMA describes the special flood hazard area as the area where National Flood Insurance Program floodplain rules must be enforced and where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies. It is shown on the flood map in zones such as A, AE, AH, AO, V and VE.

If your lot is in one of those zones, the City wants the certificate at the start. If it is not, ask whether any other flood item applies. The City also keeps a list of flood-prone properties and says development in those areas might be restricted.

Here is how the pieces line up for a lot in a flood zone:

1. You learn the zone and BFE for the address from the City, the County and FEMA.
2. The designer sets the lowest floor height from that number and the local rules.
3. A surveyor or engineer prepares the first certificate from the drawings.
4. You submit it with the permit application.

The City permit page for residential new construction breaks the process into stages. It lists an application guide, fees, plan review, inspections and a “Ready For Completion” step. The page links to those items. It does not spell out the elevation certificate stages. Ask Construction Services to describe them.

Which three certificates does a new home need?

Hillsborough County asks for three elevation certificates over the life of a new home project. The County’s checklist is for permits it issues, which are for unincorporated Hillsborough County. The City of Tampa runs its own permits inside city limits, and the City page does not list the same three stages. Confirm the City’s stages before you plan around the County’s.

Stage 1, Construction Drawings. The County says the applicant submits an elevation certificate marked “Construction Drawings” with the building permit application. A signed and sealed site plan showing the effective flood zone boundary and flood elevations may stand in. The County uses that certificate or site plan to check the design against the Florida Building Code, the County construction code and the County flood damage control regulations.

Stage 2, Building Under Construction. After the foundation is built and the elevation of the lowest floor is known, the County asks for another certificate marked “Building Under Construction.” It documents the surrounding grades and the lowest floor, to confirm they match the approved plans before further construction is allowed.

Stage 3, Finished Construction. When the building is finished, including electrical and mechanical work, and the adjacent grading is final, the owner submits a complete and correct “Finished Construction” certificate. It records the as-built characteristics.

This staged approach catches an elevation error while it is still cheap to fix. A foundation that is too low is a problem to solve before framing, not after.

What is a foundation tie-in survey?

A foundation tie-in survey is a signed and sealed survey that shows the as-built floor elevation after the foundation is built. Hillsborough County accepts it in place of the “Building Under Construction” elevation certificate.

The County says the survey must indicate the lowest floor and be located at the job site. It documents the elevation of the surrounding grades and the lowest floor, so the County can check them against the approved plans before more work goes on.

In plain terms, it is a mid-build check. The County treats it as an alternative. Ask your surveyor which one your permit office accepts.

The City of Tampa page does not mention a foundation tie-in survey. If your lot is inside the city limits, ask Construction Services whether a mid-build elevation check is required and what form it should take.

What can go below the flood elevation?

Only a few uses can go below the flood elevation. Hillsborough County says enclosed areas, including crawlspaces, that are below the base flood elevation “shall be used solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage.”

The County checklist adds these details for elevated structures:

• Where the lowest floor is six feet or higher above the final lowest adjacent grade, the enclosed area below it may not be partitioned, finished into separate rooms or temperature controlled.
• Enclosures must let floodwaters enter and leave on their own, so pressure on exterior walls stays equal. Flood vents and flood-resistant materials are installed to meet code.
• The owner signs a nonconversion affidavit. It acknowledges that the space will not be converted or modified in a way that goes against the approved design and floodplain rules.

These rules shape the plan. A garage, a storage room and an entry stair fit the allowed uses. A finished bedroom or media room below the flood elevation does not. If you want a ground-floor room in a design, say so in the first meeting.

Zone V and Coastal A areas, and sites with muck soils or other soil trouble, may need more. The County says a soils and foundation analysis from a Florida Registered Engineer may be required in those cases. If your lot is near the water, ask the City what extra reports a permit would need.

Floodways carry stricter limits still. The County says any obstruction in a regulatory floodway, including fill and new construction, is prohibited unless an engineer shows by analysis that it will not raise flood levels. Ask whether your lot touches a floodway.

These are County permit rules. The City of Tampa may apply its own rules to a lot inside city limits. Ask Construction Services before you finalize a design.

How does the certificate affect the certificate of occupancy?

In Hillsborough County, the finished-construction certificate must be received, reviewed and corrected, if needed, before a certificate of occupancy is issued. The County says so directly.

A certificate of occupancy is the final approval that says a building may be used. You do not get to move in until you have one. So a missing or wrong elevation certificate can hold up the end of a project.

That is why the third certificate needs the final grading. The County asks for it after electrical and mechanical work is done and all adjacent grading is final. If the grading changes after the survey, the survey no longer matches the house.

For the full permit path in Tampa, from application to final approval, see our guide on permits and inspections. It sets out the steps the City publishes and flags what we could not confirm.

The City permit page lists a “Ready For Completion” stage with a Project Coordination Status Report. The City says that report shows pending items such as open related permits, open conditions, fees due and inspections due. Ask whether the elevation certificate shows up there.

What does it mean for insurance?

A flood insurance policy is separate from the permit. The City of Tampa flood page says homeowner’s policies usually do not cover flood damage. It says you can buy a separate flood insurance policy backed by the federal government through the National Flood Insurance Program.

The City also says Tampa is rated Class 5 in the Community Rating System. That rating gives a 25 percent discount on flood insurance premiums in flood zones and a 10 percent discount on policies outside them. The discount is a community rating. It is not a quote for any house.

FEMA says the Special Flood Hazard Area is where mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies. A lender can therefore ask for a policy on a loan for a house there. Ask your lender and your insurance agent how they will use the elevation certificate. Neither the City nor FEMA pages opened for this guide say how a certificate changes a premium, so this guide does not make that claim.

Also keep copies of every certificate. You may need them for a policy, a sale or a later renovation. For a renovation, our guide on the FEMA 50 percent rule explains why a certificate helps.

If you want to start a build with Halo Homes, our custom home construction page describes the services Halo publishes. Halo does not publish prices, timelines or warranty terms, so those come from a direct conversation.

What is the next step?

Find your flood zone and BFE first, then ask the City which elevation certificate stages apply to your permit. Hire a Professional Engineer or Professional Land Surveyor before the design is final. To talk through a lot with Halo Homes, contact the team or call (813) 956-1972.

Facts checked October 2026 against the sources listed on this page.