Flood doors and protecting your home

Many homes sit near a river, the coast or a street where rain collects after a heavy storm.

People living there often look for ways to keep water out of the house. A flood door is one of them. This page covers how flood doors fit with other measures, how flood products are tested, and where help with the cost can come from.

Knowing your flood risk

In England, the government runs a free postcode check of an area's long-term flood risk. It covers rivers, the sea, surface water, reservoirs and groundwater where data is available. The National Flood Forum points out that these maps give a general picture of an area. They may not be accurate for a single property.

Flood Re cites research that over 4.6 million properties in England are at risk of surface water flooding. That is more than the 2.7 million at risk from rivers and the sea. You can also sign up for free flood warnings by text, phone or email. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own guidance.

Keeping water out

Flood Re calls these resistance measures. They aim to stop or limit water coming into the home. They also buy time to move belongings upstairs and get everyone to safety.

GOV.UK gives some examples.

Water can also find its way in where pipes and cables pass through a wall. The National Flood Forum suggests sealing those gaps with a flexible, waterproof sealant rather than cement.

Recovering faster after a flood

Sometimes water gets in whatever you do. Flood Re calls the next layer recoverability. It means using materials inside the home that cope with water and dry out more quickly.

The National Flood Forum lists steps such as tiled floors downstairs, sockets raised above likely flood levels, and skirting boards that can be taken off and dried. White goods and boilers can sit on raised plinths. Flood Re says these measures can cut the cost of flood repairs by as much as 73% in some cases.

How flood products are tested

The current British Standard for flood resilience products is BS 851188. It replaced an older specification, PAS 1188. Products such as flood doors can carry a BSI Kitemark, which means they have been independently tested.

The National Flood Forum suggests asking a supplier whether a product has a Kitemark. It also notes that some good products have none, because certification can be expensive. Surveyors and installers can join a specialist register run by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM). A Code of Practice for property flood resilience, published by CIRIA in 2020, sets out six standards for the work.

Help with the cost

The National Flood Forum says there is no standard grant for making a home flood resilient. After a major flood, the government may release a Property Flood Resilience grant for homes in England. Local councils apply for it and run it. The Forum describes it as up to £5,000 per eligible home that was flooded inside. If your home floods, report it to your council.

Some home insurers also offer Build Back Better. When they pay a flood claim, they can pay for resilience measures as part of the repairs, up to a limit of £10,000. Each insurer sets its own limit. Flood Re suggests asking your broker or insurer whether a policy includes it before you buy.

Flood insurance and Flood Re

Flood Re is a joint scheme between the government and insurers. It helps make the flood cover in home insurance more affordable where flood risk is high. It covers homes built before 1 January 2009. Flood Re is due to leave the market in 2039, after which insurance prices will reflect flood risk.

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