Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) Process

Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) Process

If your property is an inadvertent inclusion, you can submit a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Revision Based on Fill (LOMR-F) to change the designation of your property and avoid the federal flood insurance requirements for properties located in the 100-year floodplain. In most cases, you will need to hire a licensed land surveyor or registered professional engineer to prepare an Elevation Certificate for the property. FEMA will normally complete its review and issue a decision in four to six weeks.

The issuance of a LOMA or LOMR-F eliminates the federal flood insurance requirement as a condition of federal or federally-backed financing; however, mortgage lenders can still require flood insurance as a condition of providing financing, regardless of the location of a structure.

Purchasing a flood insurance policy is wise even if your property is located outside of the 100-year floodplain. More than 25 percent of claims are made by property owners located outside the 100-year floodplain.

LOMA and LOMR-F determinations cannot be made by FEMA until after a flood mapping study is officially adopted. However, if you think you qualify for a LOMA or LOMR-F determination, you may want to confirm this by contacting a licensed land surveyor or registered professional engineer today.