If you’re involved in buying or selling property—or simply own a home in an area near water—you’ve probably come across the term BFE, or Base Flood Elevation, whether in a flood determination report, an insurance quote, or a question from a cautious buyer or seller.

Understanding BFE is valuable for real estate agents who want to be trusted advisors, buyers who want to avoid surprise insurance costs, sellers who want to showcase their property’s strengths, and homeowners looking to protect and invest in their home wisely.

What Is BFE?

BFE stands for Base Flood Elevation. It’s the elevation (measured in feet above sea level) that water is expected to reach during a base flood—also known as a “100-year flood.” Despite the name, this kind of flood has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.

Think of BFE as a benchmark. It’s the official estimate of how high floodwaters might rise in a major storm. And for homes located in higher-risk flood zones, like FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Areas, this number plays a big role in determining insurance rates, building rules, and buyer confidence.

Whether buying, selling or investing in a home or other structure, It’s crucial to understand and pay attention to BFE.

BFE Affects Mandatory Flood Insurance Requirements

The comparison between a structure’s elevation and the BFE is what drives most flood-related decisions, especially for insurance.

If the lowest floor of the home is below the BFE, it’s at greater risk for flooding.
If the home is above the BFE, the property is seen as lower risk.

Flood insurance is mandatory for any structure in a FEMA high-risk zone aka a Special Flood Hazard Area, when the structure has been purchased with a federally-backed loan. Likewise, if the structure exists in an SFHA, flood insurance is highly recommended regardless of mandatory ruling.

BFE Impacts Building and Renovation Plans

In areas with high flood risk (such as FEMA Zones AE or VE), homes must be built or renovated above the BFE to meet local and federal regulations. Meeting the BFE is the minimum. But building or elevating a home above the BFE—by one or two feet—can make a big difference in reducing risk. This extra protection is often referred to as freeboard and is encouraged by FEMA, and sometimes required by local codes.

Real estate agents should be aware of this when helping buyers evaluate the feasibility of improvements—or when assisting sellers who’ve already elevated and want to highlight that benefit. If you're selling a home that was built above BFE, it's a great feature to highlight to buyers. Likewise, if you're representing a buyer, this info could help them make a more informed and confident decision.

BFE Comes Up in Real Estate Closings

Mortgage lenders often require Elevation Certificates (ECs) showing the relationship between the structure’s elevation and the BFE. These documents can affect:

Insurance requirements
Loan approvals
The buyer’s overall sense of risk

Understanding BFE can help agents and homeowners answer questions with confidence and avoid surprises during escrow.

BFE Is Key When Challenging a Flood Zone

If a homeowner believes their property has been mistakenly placed in a high-risk flood zone, having certified clarity on property details like exact structure location, BFE and location of current up-to-date FEMA floodplain maps can help them challenge official Flood Status.

With a MyFloodStatus flood determination - along with the support of our team and EC or LOMA services - BFE is just one piece of crucial data used in the process of removing a structure from high-risk designation.

Confirm a Property’s BFE with MyFloodStatus

There are a few ways to locate the BFE for a specific address, but many can be confusing, overwhelming, inaccurate or lacking full detail. If you're unsure how BFE impacts your property or a transaction you're working on, you should order a MyFloodStatus Flood Zone Determination.

With our industry-leading determinations, knowing the BFE and flood status of any property nationwide comes with certainty, as they are produced and backed by our team of Certified Floodplain Managers, and include the support of our team in any next steps.

The information provided is for informative purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice or a legal opinion. For legal advice, please consult an attorney.

What Does BFE Mean?