60-second summary
Just want the basics? Here’s your quick guide to flood insurance:
Flood insurance protects your home and belongings from water damage caused by flooding due to heavy rain, overflowing rivers or storm surges. Most buildings and contents insurance policies include flood cover as standard.
While not legally required, flood insurance is essential if you live in a high-risk area. Repairing flood damage can be costly, making insurance a valuable safeguard.
Buildings insurance typically covers structural damage, drying out your home, and removing debris. Contents insurance protects furniture, personal belongings, and appliances damaged by flooding.
Policies often exclude damage from gradual wear, negligence, or unoccupied properties. Alternative accommodation cover may have limits, so check your policy details.
Premiums depend on your location and risk level. Shopping around and comparing policies can help you find the best deal.
What is flood insurance?
Flood insurance covers your home and its contents against water damage, typically caused by flooding after heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, storm surges or groundwater flooding. It’s generally included as standard in most buildings and contents insurance policies.
Claims due to storms and flood damage are on the increase in the UK, with huge potential costs for property owners. In 2024, insurance providers paid out £585 million for weather-related damage to homes and possessions.
Do I need flood insurance?
Flood insurance isn’t a legal requirement, and nor are buildings insurance and contents insurance. But flood damage can be very expensive to repair, on top of replacing any contents that are lost or damaged.
So if you live in an area that’s at high risk of flooding, or if you’ve had issues with flooding in the past, then you should seriously consider protecting your home with flood insurance.
Does home insurance cover flooding?
Yes – flood cover is typically included as standard in most buildings and contents insurance policies.
If your home is damaged by a river bursting its banks or sudden rising water caused by heavy rainfall, for example, buildings insurance will typically cover:
Structural damage to walls, floors, and foundations
Damage to garages and outbuildings
The cost of drying out your home
Removing debris to repair your property
Damage to permanent fixtures and fittings, such as a fitted kitchen.
Contents insurance meanwhile, will typically cover:
Furniture and carpets
Personal belongings
Kitchen appliances and white goods
Electrical goods and equipment.
Some contents policies will also offer cover for goods stored in outbuildings, up to a certain limit.
What isn’t covered by flood insurance?
Home and flood insurance policies vary, so do check your policy documents carefully. Here are some exclusions that you should look out for when comparing quotes for flood insurance:
Escape of water: If the water damage is caused by a burst pipe inside your home, this would be covered separately.
Alternative accommodation: If you’re unable to stay in your home while it’s being repaired, check whether you’re covered for temporary accommodation. If it is covered, check for any limits on what your insurance provider is willing to pay towards this.
Damage to fences, gates and hedges.
Negligence: Damage resulting from negligence, such as failing to maintain the property or not taking reasonable steps to prevent damage.
Damage over time: Such as damp or mould.
Unoccupied properties: If your home is left unoccupied for a certain period (often 30 days or more), flood damage may not be covered unless you have informed your insurance provider.
What if I live in a high-risk flood area?
In the past, it may have been difficult or very expensive to get flood insurance in high-risk areas.
Thankfully, things are getting better. The government’s Flood Re scheme, launched in 2016, can help save you money and ensure you get cover even if you live within a flood risk area.
Note, however, that the scheme only applies to homes built before 2009. Homes built since then are not eligible for the scheme because they should be built with flood prevention measures in place.
Read more about how Flood Re works.
How much does flood insurance cost?
Compare the Market doesn’t compare specialist flood risk insurance policies, but you can get flood cover with home insurance quotes through our comparison service.
Combined buildings and contents insurance could cost less than £213 per year[1]
Buildings insurance could cost less than £198 per year[2]
Contents insurance could cost less than £64 per year[3]
Start a quote[1] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £212.95 for their buildings and contents home insurance in March 2025.
[2] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £198.00 for their buildings home insurance in March 2025.
[3] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £63.24 for their contents home insurance in March 2025.
What do I need to get a flood insurance quote?
If you’re looking for flood insurance quotes, we can help you get home insurance with flood cover. To show you a list of suitable quotes, we’ll need some important details including:
your current home insurance details
the rebuild value of your home
the level of cover you need.
You’ll also be able to choose any optional extras you might want, such as home emergency or accidental damage cover.
What should I do if I’ve suffered flooding?
Here are a few tips to help you with your insurance claim:
Report any damage to your home insurance provider immediately. Here’s more info on how to make a home insurance claim.
Check your policy for home emergency cover. There may be a 24/7 helpline and you might be able to get help quickly if you need emergency repairs.
Keep receipts and invoices for any emergency work you’ve had to pay for upfront, as you may be able to claim back the amount on your insurance.
If you’re renting, contact your landlord or letting agent as soon as any flooding occurs.
Take photos of any damage to provide as evidence in support of your claim.
Don’t remove anything affected until you’ve made your claim or you’ve been instructed to by your claims advisor.
Find out how long it will take for the loss adjuster to survey the property.
Keep a record of everything related to your claim. There might be a lot of people involved in getting you back on your feet, so keep track of phone numbers and who you need to contact.
How long does a flood insurance claim take?
The amount of time it takes to resolve a flood insurance claim can vary, depending on the extent of the damage.
Minor damage could be resolved in weeks. However, for more significant damage this is likely to take months, possibly even years, because of the process of drying out a property after flooding.
Depending on your policy, you may be offered temporary accommodation until your home is repaired.
Why use Compare the Market?
Get a quote in minutes
We compare 82 home insurance products[4]
Save up to £202 by switching home insurance[5]
Start a quote[4] Correct as of March 2025.
[5] Based on online independent research by Consumer Intelligence during March 2025, 51% of customers could achieve this saving on their Buildings and Contents insurance through Compare the Market.
FAQs
Does insurance cover flood damage?
Damage caused by flooding is typically covered as standard under a home insurance policy.
Each policy is different, so check your details if you’re concerned about flood damage. Remember, too, that some flood damage cover will fall under buildings insurance, while other damages will be protected by contents insurance.
If you’re a homeowner, it’s wise to have buildings and contents insurance to protect your home and possessions.
If you’re renting, it’s usually up to your landlord to take care of damage to buildings, and you’d need to make sure your possessions are covered with contents insurance.
What exactly do we mean by ‘flood’?
When we say flood damage, we mean flooding from ‘natural sources’, such as excessive rain or a river bursting its banks.
If you have a burst pipe, this is likely to be referred to as an ‘escape of water’ and will come under a different section of your insurance policy.
What is groundwater flooding?
Groundwater flooding happens when rainwater soaks into the soil and saturates the rocks beneath. After heavy rainfall these rocks form a type of water table, which can rise. This can prevent sewers and drainage systems from functioning properly, causing overflows.
If you’re concerned about groundwater flooding, contact your insurance provider to find out whether your home insurance policy will cover this type of flooding.
Is my house at risk of flooding?
According to a December 2024 report by the Environment Agency, an estimated 6.3 million homes in England are at risk of flooding. This is up from 5.2 million homes in 2019. This makes home insurance for flood risk areas even more important.
To find out if your home is one of them, see the government’s flood risk map.
Will flooding affect my home insurance premiums?
If you’re affected by a flood, your home insurance premiums could be more expensive in the future. You may also have to pay a higher flood excess. This makes it a good idea to shop around to see if you can get a better level of cover at a cheaper price.
The government’s Flood Re scheme, launched in 2016, is there to help people with properties in high-risk flood areas to get access to affordable home insurance. Read more about how Flood Re works.
I’m a tenant. Do I need flood insurance?
As a tenant, your landlord is usually responsible for getting buildings insurance. So, any damage to the structure of your rented property should be covered under their policy.
However, it’s a good idea to get contents insurance, which can protect your possessions against flood damage.
How can I protect my home against future flood damage?
The following tips could help minimise flood damage:
clean out gutters and keep drains free of debris
make sure garden furniture is safely secured or locked away
store electrical items, important documents and valuables upstairs or in high cupboards
make a list of any emergency numbers you might need
buy brick covers or sandbags to block doorways and prevent flood water from seeping in
consider installing flood protection barriers such as gates or doors.
Can I get flood insurance for my business premises?
To protect your business premises from flooding, you’ll need to take out business insurance. There are many types of business insurance, but the right policy can protect you against the cost of repairs to your office, shop or other premises from damage including flooding or fire.
If your business premises are rented, then it’s the landlord’s responsibility to insure the building. However, you’re still responsible for insuring any contents. You may also want to cover against any loss of earnings if you are forced to close.
How can I compare flood insurance?
Hit the ‘start a quote’ button, select the options that suit, and we’ll show you a range of home insurance quotes.
See how much you could save on protecting your home against the costs of flood damage today.
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What our expert says...
“Shopping around and comparing quotes is a great way to find cheaper home insurance with flood cover. When comparing deals, you’ll be able to read the terms and conditions for each policy. This will help you decide which policies offer the cover you need.”