Flood risk when buying a home: maps, zones and Flood Re

The official maps, nation by nation

England. The GOV.UK service tells you the long-term risk for an area, how climate change might increase it, the possible causes and how to manage the risk. It does not cover blocked drains or burst pipes, and does not give a property-level probability. Floodline is on 0345 988 1188.

Scotland. SEPA’s public flood maps show areas likely to flood from rivers, the sea and surface water.

Wales. Natural Resources Wales says its postcode service tells you the risk of flooding to an area, a chance that “is always there – this year, next year and in the future”.

Northern Ireland. nidirect points to Flood Maps NI, which show areas prone to flooding and an area’s flood history.

What flood zones mean (England, planning)

The planning practice guidance defines the zones used on the Flood Map for Planning. They matter most for new homes and for building work.

Reading a percentage. A 1% annual chance is the “1 in 100 chance each year” the guidance itself uses. It is not a once-a-century event: the chance applies again every year.

Checks to make before you commit

1. Look the address up on the official map for its nation, and note the sources of risk shown.
2. Ask the seller whether the property has flooded and whether a claim was made. Ask your conveyancer how the seller’s answers are recorded.
3. Ask your conveyancer whether an environmental or flood search is advised. GOV.UK names flood risk among the searches that may be advised case by case: see property searches.
4. Get a buildings insurance quote before exchange, so a high flood premium does not surprise you after you are committed.
5. Ask your surveyor about signs of past water damage, which a map cannot show: see home survey levels.

Flood Re and insurance

Flood Re is a reinsurance scheme that “makes flood cover more widely available and affordable as part of your home insurance”. It works through insurers, not directly with householders, and is due to run until 2039, after which insurers are expected to price on actual risk.

A home is eligible only if it meets all of Flood Re’s criteria, including:

• insured in the name of one or more individuals, and lived in by the policyholder or their family (or unoccupied);
• in Council Tax band A to H (or equivalent) and used for private residential purposes;
• a single home, or a building of 2 or 3 homes;
• built before 1 January 2009 (a pre-2009 home demolished and rebuilt stays eligible);
• in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Flood Re does not expect to cover blocks of more than three flats, company-owned homes or housing association homes, among others. For a new-build home (built from 2009), Flood Re does not apply: check insurance cost before you reserve.

Which professional to consult

A conveyancer orders the searches and reports on the seller’s answers. A surveyor looks for physical signs of flooding. See also buying a new-build home and buying a home in England.