Flood risk
Does the GOV.UK long-term flood-risk check tell you that this house will flood?
No. The service tells you about an area’s long-term risk in England from rivers and the sea, surface water, reservoirs, and groundwater where data is available. GOV.UK says it does not tell you how likely it is that an individual property will flood. A home survey is not that map, and a map is not a condition rating.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Use the service for what it is: a long-term area view, including how climate change might change the chance, and the kinds of flooding it covers. Then read the survey for what was visible on the day: air bricks, a damp ground floor, a flood door, stains. Those observations are not a probability, and the probability is not a stain.
The same page says the service does not cover flood risk from blocked drains or burst pipes. A surveyor’s note about a gulley is that other subject. Do not merge them into one “flood rating”. Insurance terms are for the insurer. No excess is stated here.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you look at a flood map, or only at the building?
- Are you describing a stain, a product such as a flood door, or a probability?
- Is this address in England? The service is an England service.
What are the typical next steps?
- Run the GOV.UK check yourself and keep the print with the legal papers.
- Do not ask the surveyor to turn the map into a rating.
- Ask insurers on this address if flood is your concern. The survey is not a quote.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a reservoir note mean the house has flooded?
It means the service maps reservoir risk for the area. It is not a history of this building.
Can a dry cellar cancel the map?
No. A dry day, or a dry cellar, does not erase a long-term area risk. It means it was dry when seen.