Does home insurance cover flooding?
Flood cover is often included within home insurance, but it isn't guaranteed in every policy. Flood damage decisions can hinge on definitions, limits, exclusions, and the cause of water entering the home. In a flood risk area, access, cost and excess levels can vary, and Flood Re may influence availability for eligible households.
rivr offers specialist flood cover for high-value homes as part of our All Risks policy
What is flood cover in home insurance?
Flood cover is the part of an insurance policy that may pay for sudden and unexpected flood damage when water from outside enters the home. In the UK it's commonly bundled inside buildings and contents cover, rather than bought as a separate product.
By contrast, in the US, flood insurance is often separate, with government-backed NFIP policies and waiting periods before cover starts.
Even where flood cover exists, it's not "everything covered". The wording sets out what the insurer will provide, what it will not, and what limits apply to particular items or types of loss.
Is flood damage covered by home insurance in the UK?
In general, flood damage is included in many mainstream UK home insurance policies, but the detail varies by insurer and property. Some policies exclude external flooding, apply a high excess, or restrict cover in a high risk flood risk area. Others may offer cover but with tight conditions, especially where there's a history of flooding or repeated flood claims.
It also matters what section you're claiming under. Buildings insurance is typically about the structure. Contents insurance focuses on belongings. A policy may cover one section and limit another, so the same flood event can create more than one claim question.
What insurers usually mean by "flooding" (and why it matters)
Most insurers use "flooding" to mean water entering from outside the property, such as rivers, coastal surge, heavy rainfall or surface water that overwhelms drainage. That sounds straightforward, but wording differences matter, especially for groundwater or drain back-up.
Why it matters is practical. The definition can influence the insurer's decision, the excess level, and the details they request. It also affects how risk is recorded for that home, which can influence pricing at renewal when future flood damage is considered in modelling.
Flooding vs other water damage types: how insurers typically define them
Flooding (outside-in): Water enters the home from outside the property, such as river flooding, coastal surge, or surface water from heavy rainfall and overland flow.
Escape of water (internal leak): Water damage from internal plumbing or appliances, such as burst pipes, leaking tanks, or washing machines, usually treated separately from flooding.
Storm/rain ingress (weather-driven entry) :Wind-driven rain enters through the building fabric (roof, windows, walls), typically handled under storm rather than flood unless the wording says otherwise.
Drain/sewer back-up (reverse flow) Water backs up into the home through drains; some insurers treat this as flooding, others as a separate cause with different limits or excess.
Groundwater ingress (rising water table) Water rises through basements, floors, or walls due to a high water table or prolonged rainfall; treatment varies by wording and is often the main grey area.
Flooding vs escape of water: the common confusion
Flooding and escape of water can look identical once a room is soaked, but the cause is different. Escape of water usually starts inside the home, such as a burst pipe, leaking tank, or a failed appliance hose. Flooding starts outside and moves in.
This distinction often shapes how a claim is handled because insurers may apply different conditions, exclusions, or excess amounts to each. When there's doubt, the insurer usually looks at evidence about where water first appeared and what failed, rather than relying on a label used in conversation.
What flood cover typically includes (and where limits show up)
When flood cover applies, buildings insurance may pay for repairs to walls, floors, wiring, plaster and fitted units affected by flood damage. Contents cover can apply to damaged belongings such as furniture, clothing and electronics, depending on the policy and any category limits.
Limits tend to show up in predictable places:
- Sub-limits for valuables or specialist items
- Restrictions for external features and garden items
- Limits for temporary accommodation or emergency costs
- Conditions for unoccupied homes—if your home is unoccupied for more than 45 consecutive days, cover for accidental damage, theft, and vandalism may be excluded
Here's a quick table that's useful as a starting view, not a guarantee of what any specific policy will pay.
What's often excluded or restricted after a flood
Flooding is where exclusions become very visible. Gradual damage is a big one. Many insurance policies exclude mould, damp and deterioration that builds up over time, even if a flood made the problem easier to spot. The logic is that insurance is designed for sudden events, not ongoing maintenance.
External features are another pressure point. Garden fences and gates are covered under buildings insurance, except for damage caused by storm, flood, or frost unless your main home is also affected at the same time. Some policies treat outbuildings differently from the main home.
Finally, claims may be challenged if an insurer believes negligence contributed to the loss, such as failing to take reasonable precautions during a flood warning, depending on the policy terms.
If you're in a high-risk area: getting cover and how Flood Re works
In a flood risk area, insurers may raise premiums, increase excesses, restrict cover or decline to insure, because the risk of repeat loss is higher. Each insurer has its own appetite and models, so outcomes can vary widely across the market, even for similar homes. That variability affects access as much as it affects price.
The Flood Re scheme was designed to improve affordability and availability of household cover where flood risk is high. It works as a reinsurance scheme supported by an agreement between the government and the insurance industry, with participating insurers able to pass the flood element of eligible policies into Flood Re. The wider network effect is that household flood cover can be offered more consistently in higher-risk locations.
The Flood Re information below describes the UK scheme generally. For questions about how this applies to your rivr policy, contact us directly.
Who Flood Re is for (and who it excludes)
Flood Re is aimed at UK households rather than every possible scenario. Eligibility is linked to factors including the age of the property and council tax band, and not all properties are eligible. Broadly, homes built before 2009 can be eligible, but there are exclusions, including some newer builds and certain non-standard arrangements.
Flood Re is also time-limited, with an end date of 2039. That matters because long-term flood risk and pricing is expected to keep evolving, and the scheme is part of a wider transition rather than a permanent fix.
Why prices and availability vary between insurers
Even where Flood Re exists, insurers still price and underwrite policies in their own way. They may take different views of local flood risk, previous flood claims, and the cost of repairs, which can lead to different premiums and different excess levels. They also price the non-flood parts of cover independently, so two quotes can diverge even if both can use Flood Re.
Funding is part of the picture too. The scheme is supported by a levy paid by insurers, spreading flood risk costs across the insurance market. That doesn't remove underwriting judgement, but it helps explain why the wider insurance industry plays a role in household flood cover.
What to do after a flood and how claims usually work
A flood claim tends to move in stages: first safety and stabilisation, then assessment, then drying and repairs. Insurers may appoint a loss adjuster and specialist contractors to assess damage and scope the work. Many policies can provide the cost of temporary housing if the home is uninhabitable, but what they provide depends on the policy, its limits and the facts.
Waiting can be normal after widespread events because contractors, drying equipment and materials are in demand. Some claims move quickly; others take longer because drying and decontamination work needs to be completed before permanent repairs can start.
What to document and when to contact your insurer
Most insurers ask for clear information early so they can respond efficiently. Typical details include photos or video, an item list and dates, plus receipts for emergency spending where the policy may pay it back. Some people find it easier to build the list as they go, then provide a clean version later.
Common evidence includes:
- photos of water lines and affected rooms
- a list of damaged contents with approximate age and value
- receipts for emergency expenses
- notes about timelines and what was affected first
It's also common for insurers to prefer that items aren't thrown away until the loss adjuster has viewed them, because it can affect completing the assessment and deciding what to pay.
Loss adjusters, temporary accommodation, and common pitfalls
Loss adjusters are typically used to assess the scope and cost of repairs, and they can be the main human contact point when the insurer is coordinating multiple suppliers. Pitfalls often come from misunderstandings about the cause of damage, missing evidence, or starting major work before the insurer has agreed the approach.
Another practical pitfall is disruption. Floods can knock out power and broadband, affecting connection and access to digital claim portals. If a portal shows a security page with a "ray id", it's usually a technical reference tied to website security, not the claim itself. It can still help support teams find what went wrong if the system won't respond.
How rivr home insurance fits into flood and water damage
rivr provides cover for high value primary residences in the UK. This insurance covers five areas: buildings, contents (including fine art, antiques, jewellery, and watches), liabilities, home emergency, and family legal protection.
We cover flood damage on an all risks basis; sudden and unforeseen flooding is covered unless specifically excluded. That means physical loss or damage from flooding is covered, with limits and conditions applying.
Like most insurance, it doesn't cover wear and tear or gradual deterioration, so long-term damp or maintenance issues aren't treated the same way as a sudden flood event.
We provide information about our products on a non-advised basis, which means we don't make personal recommendations based on your individual circumstances.
Sub-limits apply to specific items: fine art and antiques are covered up to £25,000 per unspecified item; jewellery and watches are also covered up to £25,000 per unspecified item
Resources
- Storm FAQs (Association of British Insurers)
- Flooding (Association of British Insurers)
- Check for flooding (GOV.UK)
- Property Flood Resilience Directory (Flood Mary)
- The National Flood Forum
- Flood Guidance
- Essential Guide To Flood Planning and Preparation (Polygon)
Read more
Frequently asked questions
Not always. In the UK, flood cover is often included in home insurance, but some policies exclude it, restrict it, or apply a high excess in a high risk area. Whether a claim is paid depends on the policy wording, exclusions, limits and the cause of the flood damage.
Flooding usually means water entering from outside the property, such as surface water, rivers or coastal surge. Escape of water usually starts inside the home, such as a burst pipe or leaking appliance. Insurers often treat them as different risks, which can affect cover, evidence requests and how the insurer records the claim.
In England, the Environment Agency provides services that help people view flood warnings and alerts, including live updates during severe weather. There is also a separate long-term flood risk service to help find risk information for an area, which can be useful when reviewing a property's history.
The Flood Re scheme is a reinsurance scheme created through an agreement between government and the insurance industry. It supports affordability by allowing participating insurers to reinsure the flood element of eligible household policies. Eligibility can depend on factors including council tax band and the age of the property, and not all homes are eligible.
Insurers use different data, models and underwriting views of risk, so one insurer may price a flood risk area very differently from another. Policy structure also matters, including the excess level, limits and exclusions. Even with Flood Re in the background, the insurer still prices non-flood parts independently.
After flooding, insurers commonly ask for photos, item lists, receipts and timelines to support the claim. In some cases, an insurer may request an Insurance Related Request letter that sets out flood risk details for the property, especially where there's a history of flooding or complex circumstances
