Can this be signed electronically?

Yes in most cases. Electronic signatures are legally binding under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA in most states, provided the parties consent and the record can be accurately reproduced. Verify if recipient requires notarization or a specific signature method.

When is notarization required?

Notarization depends on recipient and recording requirements. Many county recorders and lenders require a notary acknowledgement for documents intended for recording. Check local recorder rules and whether remote online notarization (RON) is acceptable.

What datum should I use?

Use the datum requested by the recipient; NAVD88 is commonly used in the U.S. State or local agencies may accept other datums. Always state the datum and units on the certificate to avoid ambiguity.

What if the insurer rejects the certificate?

If an insurer rejects the certificate, request a list of deficiencies, correct the specified fields or measurements with the surveyor, and resubmit. Keep documentation of communications and corrected versions to support rate adjustments or appeals.

How long should I retain signed copies?

Maintain signed originals for the active life of the permit or loan and retain records for at least three years for tax support; for real estate and related matters retain for seven years or longer where local practice or law requires.

Who can certify elevations?

A licensed surveyor or professional authorized by state law should perform and certify field measurements. Ensure the preparer includes a license number, signature, and professional seal as required by state licensing boards.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Property Elevation Document

Property Elevation Document

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

PROPERTY ELEVATION DOCUMENT

This Property Elevation Document (the "Document") is made effective as of , by and between:

Owner Name: Owner Address: Contractor / Elevation Provider Name: Contractor Address:

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Owner is the legal owner of the real property located at (the "Property"); and

WHEREAS, Owner desires to raise, elevate, or otherwise alter the elevation of structures or finished grades at the Property to comply with flood elevation requirements and to reduce risk of future flood damage; and

WHEREAS, Contractor represents that it possesses the necessary expertise, equipment, permits and licenses to perform the elevation work described herein and agrees to perform such work under the terms and conditions set forth in this Document.

SCOPE OF WORK

Contractor shall perform all work necessary to elevate the designated structure(s) and/or grades at the Property, including but not limited to removal and replacement of finishes, foundation elevation, temporary shoring, structural modifications, site grading, drainage adjustments, and final restoration as specified below. Contractor shall obtain all permits and inspections required by applicable authorities unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Detailed Scope (describe in detail):

PAYMENT TERMS

Total Contract Amount: $

Payment Schedule and Milestones:

Initial Deposit: $ Final Retainage (if any): $

Late Payment Fee: (applies to unpaid balances more than days past due)

All sums payable hereunder are payable in lawful currency. Owner is responsible for any taxes, assessments, permit fees, or utility connection fees required to complete the elevation, unless otherwise stated in writing.

TERM AND TERMINATION

Commencement Date:

Estimated Completion Date:

Either party may terminate this Document for material breach by the other party if the breaching party fails to cure the breach within days after receipt of written notice describing the breach in reasonable detail. Termination shall not relieve Owner of obligation to pay for work performed and materials furnished prior to termination, except as otherwise ordered by a court or arbitrator.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Each party agrees that all non‑public technical, financial and business information disclosed by one party to the other in connection with this Document, whether disclosed orally or in writing, shall be treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed to third parties without prior written consent of the disclosing party, except where disclosure is required by law, court order, or regulatory authority. Confidential information does not include information that (a) becomes publicly available without breach of this provision, (b) is rightfully received from a third party without restriction, or (c) is independently developed by the receiving party without use of the disclosing party's confidential information.

INSURANCE, PERMITS AND COMPLIANCE

Contractor shall maintain, at its expense, commercially reasonable liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance covering its employees and subcontractors. Contractor shall procure all permits and inspections required by federal, state and local authorities and shall perform all work in compliance with applicable building codes and ordinances. Upon request, Contractor shall provide certificates of insurance and copies of permits to Owner.

GOVERNING LAW

This Document shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of , without regard to its conflicts of law principles.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Document constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, negotiations and understandings, whether written or oral. Any amendment or modification of this Document must be in writing and signed by both parties.

ELEVATION CERTIFICATION

Contractor shall provide, upon completion, a written elevation certificate or engineer's certification documenting the finished elevation relative to the applicable flood elevation datum. If a licensed engineer performs certification, provide the following:

Certifier Name: Certifier License / Registration Number: Certification Notes (if any):

Owner (Printed Name):

By:

Contractor (Printed Name):

By:

Date:

Owner Signature Date:

What a Property Elevation Document Is and when it applies

A Property Elevation Document records a measured vertical height for a parcel or building relative to a recognized vertical datum (commonly NAVD88) and is used for permitting, flood insurance, lender underwriting, and zoning compliance. It can be a formal Elevation Certificate prepared by a licensed surveyor, a surveyor-signed certificate of elevation, or an owner-supplied elevation statement used for administrative or insurance purposes. Accurate elevations affect flood insurance premiums, building permit approvals, and compliance with local floodplain ordinances, so the document must clearly identify the property, datum, measured elevation values, preparer credentials, and an effective date.

Why an accurate Property Elevation Document matters

A correct Property Elevation Document reduces insurance costs, supports regulatory compliance, and prevents delays in permits and closings by providing authoritative elevation data for flood zone and grading determinations.

Who typically prepares and relies on this document

Several parties create, submit, or depend on Property Elevation Documents during transactions, permitting, and insurance processes.

Licensed surveyors, land survey firms, and civil engineers who perform field measurements and certify elevations.
Homeowners and property sellers when disclosing flood elevation or requesting insurance rate changes.
Lenders, title companies, and insurance underwriters that require elevation data to assess risk and loan conditions.

Each party has different accuracy and format requirements; confirm local permitting and insurer specifications before finalizing the document.

Essential parts of a professional Property Elevation Document

A complete document contains standardized elements so recipients can verify measurements and rely on the record for decision-making.

Property ID

Street address and parcel or APN to precisely identify the site.

Datum & Units

State the vertical datum (for example NAVD88) and units (feet or meters) used for elevation values.

Measured Elevations

Provide ground and building elevations (e.g., lowest adjacent grade, top of slab) with numeric values.

Surveyor Certification

Name, license number, firm, signature, and stamp of the licensed surveyor who performed the work.

Methodology

Summary of instruments, GPS/geodetic controls, and procedures used to determine elevations.

Effective Date

Date the measurements were made and the date the certificate becomes effective.

Step-by-step: preparing and submitting a Property Elevation Document

A clear step sequence helps avoid rework and ensures the document is accepted by insurers, lenders, and local authorities.

01

Order Survey: Hire a licensed surveyor to perform field measurements.
02

Generate Certificate: Surveyor completes the elevation certificate with datum and signature.
03

Review for Accuracy: Check APN, addresses, units, and date for consistency.
04

Submit to Recipients: Send to insurer, lender, or permitting authority with required attachments.

Typical workflow for electronic completion and routing

Electronic workflows reduce turnaround time and create an audit trail showing who completed each step.

Prepare Document: Create or upload a PDF or DOCX of the elevation certificate.
Add Fillable Fields: Insert fields for elevations, dates, and signatures to control data entry.
Assign Signers: Designate the surveyor, owner, and any witnesses or notary as signer roles.
Distribute & Archive: Share signed copies and retain an audit trail for recordkeeping.

Recommended eWorkflow settings for digital completion

Configure the signing workflow to match legal and recipient requirements before sending the document for signature.

Field	Configuration
Signature Field	Required, signer-specific, displays date on completion
Date Field	Auto-fill with signed date or allow manual entry per local rules
Notary Block	Lock until signing complete; allow for audio-visual evidence if RON used
Authentication	Email + SMS code or ID verification for surveyor and owner

Technical needs for eSubmission and integrations

Choose a platform that supports required file formats, authentication, and integration with your systems.

File Formats: PDF, DOCX, and XML exports
Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft 365, Procore
Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA, or advanced ID verification

Verify the platform retains a complete audit trail, supports notarization workflows if required, and stores signed files in formats accepted by regulators and insurers.

Time-sensitive submission points to watch

Several timing triggers affect insurance, lending, and permitting; plan accordingly to avoid delays or increased costs.

Permit Review:

Local review periods typically run 2–6 weeks

Insurance Rate Re-evaluation:

Allow insurer 10–30 business days to re-rate

Lender Underwriting:

Lender may require clearance before loan funding

Recording at County:

Recording timelines vary by county; expect days to weeks

Appeal or Correction Window:

Check local ordinance for specific correction periods

Key milestones from measurement to recorded acceptance

Track milestones as a sequential process to coordinate surveyor, owner, insurer, lender, and recorder.

01

Order & Schedule Survey

Arrange field work and datum control

02

Field Measurement Complete

Surveyor collects control and elevations

03

Certificate Prepared

Surveyor produces signed certificate

04

Submit and Record

Deliver to insurer/lender and record if required

Security and compliance controls for electronic elevation documents

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit; AES-256 at rest

Access Control: Role-based permissions and SSO

Audit Trail: Complete timestamp, IP, and action logs

HIPAA Support: BAA available where required

Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA, and advanced identity

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI DSS

Risks and potential penalties for incorrect elevation documentation

Insurance Rate Impact: Overstated elevation can lead to premium undercharge and later recoupment

Loan Delays: Lenders may delay or condition funding on corrected surveys

Recording Rejection: County recorders can reject incomplete or incorrect submissions

Administrative Fines: Local code violations may carry fines or stop-work orders

Civil Liability: Surveyor or preparer may face malpractice claims for negligent measurement

Tax Reporting: Incorrect records can complicate tax filings and audits

Common preparation mistakes to avoid

Using inconsistent datums or failing to state the datum explicitly, causing mismatched comparisons.
Entering elevation values without units or rounding inconsistently between fields.
Omitting the surveyor's license number, signature, or seal required for acceptance.
Submitting unsigned or notarization-incomplete certificates to insurers or recorders.

Real-world examples of Property Elevation Document use

These brief examples show common scenarios where a certified elevation changes decisions or speeds processes.

Martin Properties — Permit Clearance

A local builder ordered an elevation certificate before foundation work

The survey confirmed required base flood elevation compliance
As a result, the permit issued without additional mitigation conditions and roof elevation plans were finalized for construction.

BIS — Insurance Adjustment

A property owner supplied a certified elevation to the insurer

The insurer re-rated the NFIP premium based on actual finished floor elevation
The owner reduced annual flood insurance costs and documented the change for future buyers.

Practical tips for accurate and efficient completion

Follow consistent practices to reduce rework and ensure recipients accept the document the first time.

Confirm datum and units early

Ask the receiving party (insurer, lender, recorder) which vertical datum and units they accept before scheduling the survey; this prevents costly re-surveys or format changes after fieldwork is done.

Coordinate signer and notary needs

Determine whether a notary, witness signatures, or RON are required before sending the document for signature to avoid an incomplete return that must be re-executed.

Use standardized templates

Use a template that includes all required fields such as APN, datum, measured points, and certification language to minimize omissions and speed acceptance by third parties.

Keep digital originals and audit trails

Retain signed PDFs with embedded audit trails and metadata, and store backups in secure cloud or on-prem repositories to support future inquiries or title work.

eSignature vendor comparison for completing the Property Elevation Document

Compare common plan and compliance differences relevant to signing and delivering elevation documents; signNow appears first for clarity.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day free trial	Yes, trial available	Yes, trial available	Yes, trial available	Yes, trial available
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

Frequently asked questions about Property Elevation Documents

Answers address common legal, technical, and procedural questions encountered when preparing and submitting elevation documents.

Need help? Contact support

Can this be signed electronically?
Yes in most cases. Electronic signatures are legally binding under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA in most states, provided the parties consent and the record can be accurately reproduced. Verify if recipient requires notarization or a specific signature method.
When is notarization required?
Notarization depends on recipient and recording requirements. Many county recorders and lenders require a notary acknowledgement for documents intended for recording. Check local recorder rules and whether remote online notarization (RON) is acceptable.
What datum should I use?
Use the datum requested by the recipient; NAVD88 is commonly used in the U.S. State or local agencies may accept other datums. Always state the datum and units on the certificate to avoid ambiguity.
What if the insurer rejects the certificate?
If an insurer rejects the certificate, request a list of deficiencies, correct the specified fields or measurements with the surveyor, and resubmit. Keep documentation of communications and corrected versions to support rate adjustments or appeals.
How long should I retain signed copies?
Maintain signed originals for the active life of the permit or loan and retain records for at least three years for tax support; for real estate and related matters retain for seven years or longer where local practice or law requires.
Who can certify elevations?
A licensed surveyor or professional authorized by state law should perform and certify field measurements. Ensure the preparer includes a license number, signature, and professional seal as required by state licensing boards.

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