I see some similar posts on this topic but not this one exactly. At a flood seminar yesterday, the presenter stated that if we receive differing flood determinations from different vendors, we should 1) go back to the vendor and have them double-check and 2) ask FEMA to check the maps for us. She made #2 sound like a breeze. We've had a situation like this recently and had already done #1, but wanted to take her advice and contact FEMA. They stated that they won't look at it unless we get an elevation survey and file a LOMA. My thinking was that we don't want it ammended, we just want to know what they say (since our differing vendors have both double-checked and both stick with their original determination). Any thoughts on this?

FEMA is supposed to offer a Letter of Determination Review, which does not consider elevation certificates, just whether the map was read correctly.

Here's some information from FEMA's website.

That information really helped. Thanks very much Great Blue.

Since FEMA is kind of annoying to deal with I'd only go to them if I wasn't satisfied about the vendors reviewing thier previous work. If they both came to the same answer with additional info you provided - let it rest.

Yes, FEMA does have the option to do a Determination Review. If you want instructions for this I'd suggest searching their website or calling the Map Service Center at 877-336-2627.

Also, please don't only dispute the IN determinaiton. While X's are always desired they are not always right.

This does highlight that not all flood vendors are alike. We recently received a determination that said the property was out of the flood zone. However, the BORROWER was very emphatic that it was IN. We tried a different vendor and it came back as in. That is not the first time we have had a problem with the first vendor… which we no longer use.

I suppose you can use FEMA’s Letter of Determination Review… if it is timely. Not to many government agencies are very timely.

Does this property border a flood zone?

Is there a flood zone on the property with the possibility that the structure is in a flood zone?

I'll also guess that the borrower did not have a survey. Generally a survey will clear up any difference of opions. The conflicting determinations is most likely do to the(or lack thereof) of supporting documents.