ICC Permit Technician Practice Exam

An elevation certificate is required to determine which of the following?

1. Tap location of the sanitary water

2. Finished grade level at the foundation

3. Lowest floor level in a flood hazard area

4. Base flood elevation

The correct answer is: Lowest floor level in a flood hazard area

An elevation certificate is a crucial document used primarily in floodplain management. It provides important information about the elevation of a property relative to the base flood elevation (BFE) in flood hazard areas. The purpose of this certificate is to facilitate the determination of insurance premiums for flood insurance as well as the compliance of the structure with local floodplain ordinances. The correct answer focuses on the lowest floor level in a flood hazard area, which is critical for assessing vulnerability to flooding and ensuring that any new construction or substantial improvements to existing structures meet the local regulations intended to minimize flood risk. Having accurate data on the lowest floor level allows property owners, builders, and city planners to evaluate whether the building complies with minimum elevation requirements and helps in making informed decisions regarding floodplain management. Other choices, such as tap location for sanitary water and finished grade level at the foundation, do not specifically address the flood risk mitigation that the elevation certificate is designed to assess. While these details may be important for overall construction and site planning, they fall outside the primary purpose of the elevation certificate, which focuses on flood-related elevations. The base flood elevation is closely related to this topic but represents a benchmark rather than something that the certificate determines directly; thus, it is not specified as what