Flood Insurance Terms & Definitions
Flood Insurance Glossary
Search common flood insurance terms, policy language, and claim-related definitions written for homeowners and property owners.
Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
The Base Flood Elevation (BFE) is the height, in feet above mean sea level, that floodwaters are expected to reach during a base flood, which has a 1 percent annual chance of occurring.
Walled and Roofed
A walled and roofed building is a structure with at least two rigid exterior walls and a fully secured roof designed to resist flood-related forces.
Unit
A unit is an individual residential space within a condominium building that is separately owned and intended for private use.
Special Flood Hazard Area
A mapped area with a high risk of flooding where flood insurance is typically required for federally backed mortgages.
Residential Condominium Building
A condominium building with one or more residential units where at least 75 percent of the total floor area is used for residential purposes.
Regular Program Community
A community that participates fully in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) after completing flood hazard studies and adopting FEMA-approved floodplain management regulations.
Pre-FIRM Building
A building constructed or substantially improved before the first Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) became effective for the community where the building is located.
Post-FIRM Building
A Post-FIRM building is a building that was built or substantially improved after December 31, 1974, or on/after the effective date of the community’s first Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), whichever is later.
Policy
A policy is the complete legal contract between the insured and the insurance provider that defines coverage, limits, exclusions, and conditions.
Owner
An Owner is the person or entity that holds legal or equitable title to a property and has an insurable interest in it at the time of a flood loss.
National Flood Insurance Program
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a federal program that provides flood insurance and establishes floodplain management standards to reduce flood risk in participating U.S. communities.
Mobile Home
A mobile home is generally the same as a manufactured home for flood insurance purposes: a factory-built home constructed on a permanent chassis that may be placed on a permanent foundation.
Manufactured Home
A manufactured home is a transportable residential building built on a permanent chassis and eligible for flood insurance when properly anchored and placed on a permanent foundation.
Insured Property
Insured Property is the building or property covered by a flood insurance policy based on the insured’s financial interest, including lender-placed and foreclosed properties.
Improvements
Improvements are permanent fixtures or additions that become part of a building or condominium unit and are covered under flood insurance when damaged by a flood.
Flood
A flood is a temporary condition where normally dry land is partially or completely covered by water, caused by surface water, overflow, or flood-related erosion.
Expiration Date
The expiration date is the date on which flood insurance coverage ends, as shown on the policy’s declaration page.
Elevated Building
An elevated building is a non-basement structure whose lowest floor is raised above ground level using approved foundation systems to reduce flood risk.
Direct Physical Loss By or From Flood
Direct physical loss by or from flood refers to actual, physical damage to insured property that is caused directly by a flood event and can be seen or measured.
Declaration Page
The Declaration Page is the summary page of a flood insurance policy that lists key coverage details, including the policy term, coverage limits, deductible amounts, premium, and insured property information.