Commercial Flood Insurance
Flood insurance for businesses — what's covered, what's not, and how to protect your business.
General guidance for England
Commercial Flood Insurance
Why It's Different From Residential
Commercial properties are NOT eligible for the Flood Re scheme. Businesses in flood-risk areas must obtain insurance at full market rates.
What Commercial Flood Insurance Covers
- Buildings damage: Structure, fixtures, fittings
- Contents and stock: Equipment, inventory, raw materials
- Business interruption: Lost revenue during closure and recovery
- Increased cost of working: Temporary premises, overtime, expedited repairs
- Public liability: Claims from third parties affected by flooding at your premises
What's Typically Excluded
- Gradual damage or poor maintenance
- External landscaping and car parks
- Data loss (separate cyber/data policy needed)
- Fines and penalties
- Loss of goodwill beyond the indemnity period
Reducing Costs
- Install and document flood resilience measures
- Create and test a business flood plan
- Sign up for EA flood warnings
- Use a specialist commercial flood insurance broker
- Consider a higher excess
- Join a business flood group for collective resilience
Business Continuity Planning
A flood plan should cover critical systems backup, supply chain alternatives, customer communication, employee roles during a flood event, and recovery priorities.
Official guidance and checks
Rules, schemes and flood conditions can change. Use these primary sources before making a safety, property, insurance or planning decision.