Flood Insurance Guide

What this guide helps you do

Use this guide to compare household flood cover and understand where Flood Re may fit. Start with official information for the exact place and decision; county totals, nearby station points and old incidents are context only.

Practical decision path

• Check the address on the official long-term service before requesting quotations.
• Ask about buildings, contents, alternative accommodation, drying, debris removal and professional fees.
• Get the flood excess, exclusions, limits and claim conditions in writing.
• Ask whether the insurer intends to use Flood Re and verify eligibility on Flood Re’s own service.
• Disclose previous flooding and resilience work accurately; keep surveys, invoices and photographs.

Evidence to keep

• The exact address or site boundary, source URL and date checked
• Relevant maps, searches, messages, photographs and professional reports
• Written policy, planning, landlord, contractor or authority responses
• Assumptions, unresolved questions and the next review date

Important limits and mistakes to avoid

• Policy wording and eligibility vary; obtain both in writing.
• Flood Re eligibility is not the same as whether any insurer can offer cover.
• Do not treat a common-coverage list as a promise from a particular policy.

Questions to ask before deciding

• Which insured section responds to flood damage?
• What excess, limit, exclusion and evidence requirement applies?
• Who is covered and which address or use is declared?
• What must be approved before disposal or permanent repair?
• What complaint and escalation route does the policy provide?

When to get specialist help

Use competent professional advice when safety, structure, electrical or gas systems, contaminated water, planning consent, drainage design, insurance cover or a property transaction depends on the answer. During an emergency, follow emergency services and official warning instructions rather than this guide.

How to compare cover rather than just price

Read the buildings and contents sections separately. Confirm the flood excess for each, whether alternative accommodation is included, how emergency mitigation is handled, and which professional, drying and debris-removal costs need prior approval. A low premium is not useful if the excess, exclusions or evidence requirements make the cover unsuitable.

Ask the insurer or broker to explain any flood-specific endorsement in plain language. Save the quotation, statement of fact and full wording, not only the summary page. If resilience measures have been installed, provide the survey, product details, maintenance record and photographs rather than assuming a discount or acceptance.

Flood Re in plain English

Flood Re is a reinsurance scheme used behind participating home insurers; it is not a policy sold directly to a homeowner. Eligibility and use are separate questions: a property may be ineligible for the scheme yet still find insurance, and an eligible property is not automatically placed into it. Check the scheme's current criteria and ask the insurer how the quotation has been arranged.

If a flood occurs

Protect life first. Contact the insurer as soon as practical, record the incident reference, photograph affected rooms and items, and ask what can be moved or discarded. Do not retain contaminated or dangerous material merely for evidence, but document it and follow safety advice. Keep a dated log of calls, decisions, temporary accommodation and reasonable emergency costs.

Final checklist

• Recheck the official source before acting
• Separate current warnings from long-term and designated-area information
• Confirm who is responsible for the next action
• Keep evidence and advice in writing
• Review after an incident, material change or updated guidance