Thayer Engineering Company Inc

Andy Dunbar, of Thayer Engineering, was recommended to us by a neighbor who had used his engineering and other services for a floodplain mapping issue. When we received the letter from the bank about our new status as being in the flood zone, it came with requirement that we have some kind of action within 45 days. Either we could have the map corrected, buy insurance to the tune of $1500/ year, or if we missed the 45 day deadline, the bank would buy the insurance on our behalf for many thousands more. We elected to determine if the map was correct, through the services of Mr. Dunbar. He was out the next day and did the surveying within a week. He was extremely quick, professional, and responsive. Following survey results that put our home above flood, Andy filed the paperwork electronically and an electronic letter of map amendment (eLOMA) was issued within probably two weeks of our first contact. His ability to do the electronic filing greatly speeds up the process. Our cost would have been lower, but the initial filing was selected for audit and that cost is passed on for his extra time. According to what I read online about the floodplain mapping program, about 1 in 4 electronic filings are audited. A coworker who used a traditional surveyor who gave a "friend and family" rate of about $600 did not file electronically. They did not receive their LOMA until after the 45 day deadline. The bank, based upon a letter from the surveyor, permitted them to buy insurance for a lower rate, but they were still required to buy, because the LOMA had not been granted. Our neighbor paid several hundred less than us for the survey, but again the filing took beyond the 45 days to generate the LOMA and he had to pony up a couple grand for insurance, so ended up paying much more. Our experience was quick and relatively painless, except for the money, but it would have cost us anyway and we'd have experienced much more anxiety for an extended period.