Flood risk check by postcode and address
Millions of properties in England sit in areas with some level of flood risk from rivers, the sea or surface water — and flood history affects insurance, mortgages and resale. Address Lens screens Environment Agency flood data around the postcode you search and keeps the result next to the property's sold prices, EPC and planning evidence.
What the flood screening shows
- Rivers and sea — the risk band for the area around the address.
- Surface water — the "flash flooding" risk that standard river maps miss.
- Active alerts — whether a flood alert or warning currently covers the area.
How to run a flood check
- Search the postcode or full address.
- Open the property's report — the flood card shows each risk band and its source.
- If anything is elevated, check the free GOV.UK long-term flood risk service and raise it with your conveyancer or insurer.
Screening, not a survey: the screening is postcode-centroid — flood bands describe the area around the postcode's centre point, not the individual building. A property on higher ground within a risk zone can be materially safer than its band suggests, and local defences change outcomes. Use the screening to decide where a formal flood risk report or insurer conversation is worth the money.
Coverage — England: the Environment Agency covers England. For a property in Wales, check flood risk with Natural Resources Wales — an empty Environment Agency result for a Welsh postcode is not a clean flood screen.