buying

How to check if a house is in a flood zone

How to check if a house is in a flood zone in England: the free GOV.UK long-term flood risk check, what it does not show, flood warnings and insurance.

5 min read
Last reviewed 20 October 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 8

The quick way: the GOV.UK long-term flood risk check

For a home in England, the free official check is the GOV.UK service "Check your long term flood risk". You start with a postcode. GOV.UK says it covers:

rivers and the sea;
surface water;
reservoirs;
groundwater, where data is available.

It also covers how climate change might affect flooding, the possible causes, and how to manage flood risk.

Important limit: GOV.UK states that the service shows the flood risk of an area, not a specific property. It does not say how likely an individual property is to flood, and it does not cover flooding from sources such as blocked drains or burst pipes.

This is a service for England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate services. If you cannot use the online service, you can call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

Part 2 of 8

People search for "flood zone", but the official check is about long-term flood risk. A few related things are easy to mix up:

Thing	What it is	Who it is for
Long-term flood risk check	GOV.UK service giving the risk for an area in England	Anyone buying, selling or living in a home
Flood map for planning	An Environment Agency service giving flood risk information for planning applications in England	People making a planning application, or checking if they need a flood risk assessment
Flood warnings	Alerts about flooding that is expected or happening now	People in areas at risk
Past flooding	Whether a property is in an area that has flooded before	Buyers who want the history

The flood map for planning service lets you check whether you need a flood risk assessment, download a printable flood map or order detailed flood risk data. It is aimed at planning, not at buyers, but it is where the planning idea of a "flood zone" sits.

Part 3 of 8

Step by step

Get the full postcode of the house.
Open the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service and enter it.
Read what comes up for the area. Note each source of flooding, not only the headline.
Check surface water with the council. GOV.UK's flooding guidance says surface water ("flash flooding") is handled separately, and to contact your local council about it.
Ask about past flooding. GOV.UK links to a way of finding out whether a property is in an area that has flooded. The seller or their agent should also be asked directly.
Check the live picture. Our flood risk checker shows current flood warnings and alerts near a UK postcode from the Environment Agency feed, and links to the official long-term service.

Part 4 of 8

The four sources of flooding, in plain English

The check lists different causes, and they behave differently. Knowing which one applies helps you ask the right question.

Rivers and the sea: water rising over banks or coming in from the coast. This is the one most people mean by "flood zone".
Surface water: heavy rain that cannot drain away quickly enough, so it runs over the ground and collects in low spots. It can happen far from any river, which is why the council is the contact for it.
Reservoirs: water released if a reservoir fails. GOV.UK includes it in the check.
Groundwater: water rising up through the ground after long wet spells. GOV.UK says it is covered only where data is available, so an absence of a result is not proof of no risk.

A house can be low risk from one source and higher from another, so read each line of the result.

Part 5 of 8

What the check cannot tell you

An area-level result leaves gaps that matter to a buyer:

Whether this house has flooded before, or how high the ground sits compared with its neighbours.
Whether the owners have fitted any flood protection.
Flooding from drains, pipes or blocked gullies, which the service does not cover.
What your insurance will say and cost.

For these, ask the seller direct questions, and ask your conveyancing solicitor what searches they recommend for the property.

Part 6 of 8

Flood warnings are a separate, free service

Flood warnings tell you about flooding that is expected or happening. GOV.UK says the flood warning service is free, is for homes or organisations in England at risk of flooding, and needs an email address and a way of being reached at any hour. Scotland and Wales have their own sign-ups, and Northern Ireland offers flood maps to check risk.

Signing up does not mean your home is at risk. It is a safety net worth having if the check shows any risk.

Part 7 of 8

Flooding and home insurance

Ask for an insurance quote before you commit to buying, not after. Flood Re describes itself as a joint initiative between the Government and insurers that aims to make flood cover in household insurance more affordable. Its own page says a property may not qualify, and that the decision to use the scheme for a policy stays with the insurer. We cannot tell you what cover would cost for any home.

Part 8 of 8

If you are buying

Run the long-term check on the postcode before you pay for a survey.
Ask the seller if the property has ever flooded and whether they made an insurance claim.
Ask your solicitor which searches to order.
Get an insurance quote for the exact address.

If the area-level result shows a risk, it is not an automatic reason to walk away. It is a reason to ask better questions and price the answer in. Our wider property risk checks cover other risks that area searches often miss.

This page is general information, not insurance, legal or surveying advice.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if my house is in a flood zone?

In England, use the free GOV.UK long-term flood risk service and enter your postcode. It shows the area's risk from rivers, the sea, surface water, reservoirs and, where data is available, groundwater. For surface water, GOV.UK advises contacting your local council.

Can I check flood risk by postcode?

Yes. The GOV.UK long-term flood risk service starts with a postcode. It shows the risk for the area, not for one individual property, so use it as a first check and ask the seller about past flooding.

Is there a flood check for a specific property?

The official GOV.UK service says it shows area risk, not individual property risk. For a property-specific view, ask the seller about past flooding and protection, ask your solicitor about searches, and get a home insurance quote for the exact address.

Does the flood risk check work in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No. The GOV.UK long-term flood risk service covers England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own flood risk services, which GOV.UK links to from the England page.

Is it free to sign up for flood warnings?

Yes, GOV.UK says the flood warning service is free. It is for homes and organisations in England at risk of flooding. You need an email address and a way to be contacted at any hour.

Will I be able to get home insurance if my house is at flood risk?

Not always on the same terms. Flood Re is a scheme aimed at making flood cover in household insurance more affordable, but a property may not qualify and the insurer decides whether to use it. Get a quote for the exact address before you buy.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 20 October 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.