If your property lies in the floodway adjacent to a river, creek, or other waterway that is prone to flooding, you may be required by law to meet certain requirements to minimize the impact of any new developments on the floodplain, as well as to mitigate the risk of flood damage to the structures. The process to get approval to construct on the lot is called a “No-Rise” Certification.

This certification entails determining the existing floodway extents from published flood maps produced by FEMA and/or other sources, then evaluating the impact of any new developments on the flood water conveyance using hydrologic analyses. The objective of the certification is to ensure the new development will not cause the BFE (Base Flood Elevation) to rise which could have negative impacts on the adjacent properties up and downstream. Thus the “no-rise” terminology.

GeoCiv’s engineers will coordinate with the building designers and architects to develop a design that meets the certification requirements and provide the no-rise certification documentation needed to get the permits for construction.

How We Make An Impact

GeoCiv has a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) with expertise in Floodplain Management and assists clients whether they are homeowners, communities, or Architecture & Engineering (AE) firms with the complex and highly site-specific challenges of floodplain analysis and certifications.