Glossary
Base Flood Elevation
The elevation benchmark used when evaluating flood map change requests and floodplain context.
Base Flood Elevation, often shortened to BFE, is the mapped water-surface elevation used to compare a structure or parcel's elevation against flood risk criteria. It is one of the most important benchmarks in a LOMA-related file.
Key takeaways
BFE is a comparison point, not a document by itself.
Many map-change questions only make sense when paired with actual elevation measurements.
Why it matters
LOMA and LOMR-F reviews rely on elevation data compared against BFE.
Borrowers and buyers hear the term frequently in technical documents.