- whether your property falls within or outside the area at risk of flooding
- whether there are any defences in the area and the standard of protection that they provide
- how likely flooding is, taking into account any risk management measure such as flood defence barriers in the area
- whether there are any plans for flood risk management measures in the area
You can request an IRR from our enquiries team. Please include the full address of the property and a contact telephone number. And if possible, please provide a map. The team will respond to you within 20 working days.
An IRR is free for the public. Requests by commercial interests such as a solicitor will incur a £50 (plus VAT) charge.
Struggling to get insurance?
Flood Risk Report
If you have fitted resistance or resilience measures to your property, a standard template for recording the flood risk is now available. The insurance industry recognise the Flood Risk Report as a standard approach for presenting the flood risk of a property, provided a professional, suitably qualified, independent surveyor has completed it. Insurers may take into account the information and flood protection measures when assessing the terms they will offer for continued or new cover.
We developed the Flood Risk Report with Defra, Association of British Insurers, British Insurance Brokers Association, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, National Flood Forum and the Law Society.
We're encouraging lead local flood authorities and Environment Agency teams to complete this report and hand this to residents when they have fitted property level protection products.
Our work with the insurance industry
We assist Government in their work with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to support the insurance industry's commitment to continue to offer flood risk insurance to the vast majority of homes and businesses in flood risk areas.
Although we do not have a role in determining insurance cover, we do share a common goal with the ABI to improve flood mapping and provide the best available information to the public.
We do this by making information from the national assessment of the likelihood of flooding, from rivers and the sea available to ABI members. This assessment takes account of flood defences, and there is strict guidance on how insurers can use it.
Insurers use our information alongside their own data and other relevant information customers may provide to make an assessment of whether they can provide insurance cover and under what terms.
The existing agreements between the English and Welsh Governments and the ABI on the provision of flood risk insurance (known as the Statement of Principles) are due to expire in July 2013. The future direction of flood insurance is a matter for the Governments and the ABI to discuss.
Are you in an area at risk of flooding?
Anyone can access the same information that is available to insurance companies by using our Flood Map. You can find out what the likelihood of flooding from rivers and the sea is in your local area.
