Elevation Certificates in Chico, CA

Chico's flood zones follow its creeks. The city is crossed by Big Chico Creek, which runs through Bidwell Park and the Chico State campus, by Little Chico Creek, and by Lindo Channel, the flood channel locals call Sandy Gulch, all draining west toward the Sacramento River about five miles away. Most Chico flood zone questions come from parcels near one of those three, and the answer depends on the exact FIRM panel.

The bigger news is the map revision. FEMA published preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Butte County, the City of Chico, and unincorporated areas, with a preliminary date of May 30, 2025, and a 90-day appeal period ran from December 3, 2025 to March 3, 2026. According to the county's floodplain administrator, as reported at the release, the zone changes are concentrated in north Chico around Rock Creek, Keefer Slough, and Nord, where a new study showed flood-prone areas that had never been mapped. The study also adds Base Flood Elevations to some areas previously shown as approximate Zone A, turning them into Zone AE. That matters for an elevation certificate: with a published BFE the EC gives a direct comparison, and a LOMA becomes a real option for buildings that sit high. Check the current and preliminary maps on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and ask Butte County Public Works or the City of Chico which map applies to your permit.

Our field work: a benchmark tie on the vertical datum the FIRM uses, lowest and highest adjacent grade, the lowest floor and any crawlspace or garage floor, flood vents, and machinery such as HVAC and water heaters, plus building photos and a signed FEMA EC. If the structure is at or above the BFE but inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, we can prepare a LOMA and file through eLOMA where eligible. Chico is a mobilization from our Lotus base, so we plan each trip and batch nearby work. See our elevation certificate service and the pages for Oroville and Red Bluff.