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How to file a LOMA: get FEMA to remove your home from the flood zone

Q: What is a LOMA?

A Letter of Map Amendment is FEMA's determination that your property's lowest adjacent grade is at or above the base flood elevation — so your home is not actually in the Special Flood Hazard Area the map shows. FEMA amends the map for your property only. The federal lender flood-insurance purchase mandate then no longer applies to your home.

Q: How much does a LOMA cost?

FEMA charges no fee for the LOMA application itself. The real cost is the elevation certificate: a licensed surveyor typically charges a few hundred dollars. If the survey shows your lowest adjacent grade at or above base flood elevation, the filing itself is free through FEMA's Online LOMA portal.

Q: Does a LOMA remove my flood insurance requirement?

It ends the federal purchase mandate — a federally regulated lender can no longer force you to carry flood insurance as a loan condition. Your lender may still require it by contract, and insurers still price elevation: keeping a policy in a lower zone is often cheaper, not zero. Notify your lender with the LOMA determination letter either way.

Q: How long does a LOMA take?

FEMA's published turnaround is typically 30 to 60 days for complete applications; incomplete filings (missing elevation certificate, wrong property description) restart the clock. The surveyor step is usually the longest part — schedule it first.

Your mortgage servicer charges you for flood insurance because one letter on FEMA's map says your home is in a high-risk zone. If your house's lowest adjacent grade actually sits at or above the base flood elevation, FEMA's own process — a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) — removes your home from the zone. The federal purchase mandate then no longer applies. The filing is free; the surveyor costs a few hundred dollars; the payoff can be $1,021/year in Texas high-risk NFIP premiums (LendingTree, 2025) stopped in their tracks.

Here is the honest process — what it costs, what can go wrong, and what a LOMA actually changes about your bill.

Step zero: check what zone FEMA assigned you — free, 30 seconds

Know your zone before you pay a surveyor

A LOMA only works if your lowest adjacent grade is at or above base flood elevation. Check your zone letter free first — if you're deep in a V or AE zone with a low foundation, the survey is a gamble, not a formality.

🔍 Check my address free → Get the $9 report →

The 4 steps, honestly

Find your BFE and zone letter. Run the free FloodLens lookup above (zone letter, in plain English), or pull your property's FIRMette from FEMA's Map Service Center — here's how to read it in 5 minutes. The base flood elevation (BFE) is the number everything hinges on.
Get an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor. This is the one real cost — typically a few hundred dollars. The surveyor documents your lowest adjacent grade and first-floor elevation against the BFE. If the survey comes back below BFE, stop: a LOMA will not help, and you've only spent the survey fee finding out.
File through FEMA's Online LOMA portal. For a single residential property, the MT-EZ form is the short path — FEMA charges no application fee. Complete applications get a determination in roughly 30–60 days; the most common stall is a missing or wrong elevation certificate, which restarts the clock.
Take the determination letter to your lender. Once FEMA issues the LOMA, your property is officially outside the Special Flood Hazard Area — the federal purchase mandate no longer applies (GAO-09-12). Your servicer still has to drop the forced-placed policy; confirm in writing. Keep your policy anyway if it's cheap: roughly one in three NFIP claims come from outside high-risk zones.

Questions homeowners ask before filing

What is a LOMA?

A Letter of Map Amendment — FEMA's determination that your property's lowest adjacent grade is at or above base flood elevation, so your home is not actually in the Special Flood Hazard Area the map shows. FEMA amends the map for your property only.

How much does a LOMA cost?

FEMA charges nothing for the application itself. The real cost is the elevation certificate: a licensed surveyor typically charges a few hundred dollars. No surveyor, no LOMA — FEMA will not take your word for your elevation.

Does a LOMA remove my flood insurance requirement?

It ends the federal mandate — a federally regulated lender can no longer require flood insurance as a loan condition. Your lender may still want it contractually, and insurers still price elevation. Notify your lender with the determination letter either way.

How long does a LOMA take?

Typically 30–60 days for a complete application, per FEMA's published turnaround. The surveyor step usually takes longest — schedule it first, file second.

Start free: your zone letter in 30 seconds

A LOMA only pays off if your elevation beats the map. Get your zone letter free, then get the $9 plain-English report with typical cost ranges for your zone and the exact questions to ask your surveyor.

🔍 Check my address free → Get the $9 report →

Related: What your FEMA flood zone means for your insurance quote in Texas · NFIP vs private flood insurance in Texas · How to read your FIRMette in 5 minutes · Texas flash floods, Oct 1, 2026. Premium figures are published NFIP averages and estimates, not quotes. LOMA turnaround and cost figures are published FEMA and typical-survey figures, not guarantees. Not insurance or lending advice. Flood data: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. Not an official flood determination. © 2026 Mehyar Soft LLC.