Variance and discrepancy checks
Unlisted flood risk: how to check official maps before you offer
"No history of flooding" is a statement about what the seller knows. Modelled flood risk is a statement about the ground the house stands on. They are not the same thing, and only one of them is published.
The three checks worth running
- Long-term flood risk. The government's check long term flood risk service gives risk from rivers and the sea, surface water, reservoirs and groundwater for a postcode or address in England.
- Flood warning and alert areas. The Environment Agency flood-monitoring API publishes the catchments covered by flood warnings, plus any warnings currently in force.
- Statutory flood zones. Flood zone 2 and flood zone 3 are planning designations published on planning.data.gov.uk. They govern what can be built and are what a planning officer will look at.
Scotland and Wales have their own services: SEPA's flood maps and Natural Resources Wales. The English services above do not cover them.
What a designation actually means
| Finding | Practical effect |
|---|---|
| Surface water risk, no river risk | Often overlooked. Affects insurance excess and can cause repeated nuisance flooding of gardens, garages and basements. |
| Flood zone 2 | Medium probability designation. Planning applications need a flood risk assessment; insurance is usually available. |
| Flood zone 3 | High probability designation. Expect insurer questions, potentially higher excesses, and lender caution. |
| Active flood warning area | The property sits in a catchment the Environment Agency warns for. Worth asking neighbours about past events. |
Ask about Flood Re before you assume the worst
Flood Re is a joint government and insurance industry scheme that helps make home insurance available for properties at flood risk, subject to eligibility — notably homes built after 1 January 2009 are excluded. Confirm eligibility with an insurer rather than assuming it.
Questions to put to the agent
- Has the property flooded, internally or externally, in the seller's ownership?
- Has a claim been made on the buildings insurance for water ingress?
- What is the current buildings insurance premium and excess for flood?
- Have any resilience measures been installed — flood doors, non-return valves, raised electrics?
The seller answers the first two formally on the TA6 property information form during conveyancing. Asking early means you learn the answer before you have paid for a survey.
Flood exposure is one of the six sections of a FirstBid report, checked against Environment Agency and planning data for the property's own coordinates rather than for the town.
Frequently asked questions
- Will a flood zone designation stop me getting a mortgage?
- Not automatically. Lenders generally require buildings insurance to be obtainable; where it is, lending usually proceeds. Confirm insurability early rather than at exchange.
- Does the seller have to tell me about past flooding?
- Sellers answer specific questions about flooding on the TA6 form, and giving false answers exposes them to a misrepresentation claim. That protection only exists if the question is asked.
Sources
Check a property before you offer
Run any UK postcode through our free lookup for EPC bands, flood exposure, registered sold prices and recorded crime. Got a specific listing? Paste the Rightmove link for the full six-section FirstBid report.
Related guides
The complete guide to cross-checking a UK property listing against public records
A step-by-step method for testing every claim in a Rightmove or Zoopla listing against EPC, planning, flood and Land Registry records before you make an offer.
How to verify the planning permission history behind a listing
Extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings all leave a paper trail — or should. Here is how to search the planning record for a property before you offer.
How to calculate your opening offer, realistic target and ceiling price
A repeatable way to set the three numbers every buyer needs before making an offer, built from registered sold prices and quantified property-specific costs.