SurveySorted
Menu
Sign in

Flood risk

Why is an England flood-risk printout the wrong paper for a Scottish or Welsh purchase?

No. That service is for an area in England. GOV.UK’s own title says England. Scotland and Wales publish their own map services. A home survey does not switch the maps for you, and an English printout for a Scottish address is the wrong document.

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?

The England service describes rivers and the sea, surface water, reservoirs, and groundwater where data exists, and it says it does not give an individual-property likelihood. Other countries’ maps are not “the same with a different logo” unless their own pages say so. This page will not pretend they are.

What does travel is the survey logic: a dry day is not a history, and a map is not a condition rating. In Scotland the Home Report is still a visual single survey plus questionnaire and energy report. It is not Natural Resources Wales and not SEPA. Ask the solicitor which flood search they have ordered for that country.

What should you ask your surveyor?

  • Which country’s map, if any, did you look at?
  • Is the property in England?
  • Are you describing the building, or a screen you cannot attach?

What are the typical next steps?

  1. Use the map service for the country where the house stands.
  2. Ask your solicitor which search they rely on. Do not staple the England check to a Welsh or Scottish sale.
  3. Keep the survey for visible defects whatever the map says.

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

Is Northern Ireland on the England check?

No. The service is England. Use the Northern Ireland information your solicitor relies on.

Does a UK-wide insurer’s quote replace the map?

An insurer prices their own appetite. It is not the GOV.UK service and not a survey.

Sources