Flood Risk Home Insurance

Home insurance in a flood risk area can be difficult to find. That’s because properties located near rivers, floodplains, or previously flooded areas are at a higher risk of flood damage. While standard home insurance typically covers flooding events from burst pipes, it may not cover damage from external water sources. This includes damage from heavy rain, overflowing rivers, or melting snow. If you live in a high-risk area, it’s important to have sufficient cover. Flood risk home insurance takes care of those risks.

Insurers use flood-zone maps, satellite imagery, predictive analytics, on-site surveys, and real-time data to assess flood risks. So it’s data-driven. This multi-layered approach gives insurers a detailed understanding of your home’s exact risk, which is used to set flood risk area home insurance costs.

Unless the sewer backup is caused by an external flood, it will not usually be covered.

Home damage caused by landslides, earthquakes, or subsidence is not typically covered, even if triggered by a flood. For this, you’ll typically need additional cover.

Damp or fungal growth is not usually covered, unless it is a direct result of flooding. However, these conditions usually take longer to develop and are mostly a result of neglect.

Things like landscaping, decks, patios, fencing, pools, hot tubs, and wells are not usually covered by this insurance. Neither are vehicles. Flooding damage may be covered by comprehensive car insurance.

If your home becomes uninhabitable due to flooding, you’ll need alternative accommodation. Flood risk cover may not cover this risk. You’ll likely need an add-on to your policy to be covered.

A flood risk policy is focused on sudden flooding events, not ongoing water damage that develops over time. Similarly, internal floods from a burst pipe may also not be covered by flood risk insurance. Water escape is typically included under standard home insurance.