I just got off the phone with an insurance agent who questioned an EC I completed recently, saying that the vent area I listed for the garage didn't appear to count the garage door opening. I explained that if an opening requires human intervention to function, it's not an opening. He said that doesn't apply to garage doors, and that he "talks with FEMA all the time." I declined to modify the cert, which elicited a "that's fine, but it's going to cost the homeowner a lot more."
After getting off the phone I decided to check my sources. FEMA Technical Bulletin 1, dated 2008 but updated January 2015, comports with my understanding. Is there another, newer, and different interpretation of this that I'm overlooking?
Jim Frame, post: 377444, member: 10 wrote: After getting off the phone I decided to check my sources. FEMA Technical Bulletin 1, dated 2008 but updated January 2015, comports with my understanding. Is there another, newer, and different interpretation of this that I'm overlooking?
Jim,
I'm sure you checked online for NEWER guideline/bulletins. I've been stung by 'monthly' updates. (CLOMR-F; ESA; 404...Govt. Agencies and 'Services' changing policy...sigh...)
DDSM
Common sense is so rare in certain circles we should applaud loudly when we finally discover that some still exists in this world.
We get a few calls like that from Insurance agents as well.
One time the homeowner was using an Agent out of the area, but he sworn up and down that he did homes with flood vents all the time. This guy call about every line on the Elevation Cert, and not one time with a list of questions, but one call for every line. "Scott you didnt give me enough flood vents or enough square footage on the vents" I didn't install the vents I just counted how many were on the house and measured the size of each one. It took a few phone calls before he was convinced that Surveyors didnt install flood vents.
I agree with you about the Garage door not counting as a flood vent or opening.
As far as I know, and every seminar I've taken, garage doors are not considered flood vents.
No doubt garage doors should not counted as per FEMA definitions for flood opening which should provide a flow in and out without human impact.
I love it when they install the big plastic louvered coovers. When they call I have to explain that they only get credit for the slots.
More fun is explaining why they don't count because they are too high to be counted.