Flood Re changes in 2026: what they mean for homeowners

23 October 2026 · Blog

If your home is at risk of flooding, getting affordable insurance can be difficult. Flood Re, the joint scheme between the Government and insurers, exists to help with that. In its tenth year it has announced a set of changes. Here is a plain-English summary and what it could mean for you.

What is Flood Re?
Flood Re sits behind your insurer. When a home is at higher risk of flooding, your insurer can pass the flood part of the policy to Flood Re, which keeps the price of cover more affordable. You don’t apply to Flood Re yourself: your insurer decides whether to use it. One of the main eligibility rules is that the home must have been built before 1 January 2009. The scheme is due to end in 2039.

What’s changing?
• Cheaper contents cover for smaller homes: from April 2027, the price Flood Re charges insurers for contents-only policies in Council Tax Bands A and B falls from £52 to £25. Insurers are expected to pass the saving on.
• Flood Performance Certificates: Flood Re plans to develop and pilot certificates, similar to an Energy Performance Certificate, that show how well a home is protected against flooding. Households with a certificate or an equivalent self-assessment are planned to get premium discounts.
• More support to Build Back Better: insurers will be encouraged to offer Build Back Better, which can pay up to £10,000 towards flood resilience measures, such as flood doors and water-resistant floors, when your home is repaired after a flood.

Why this matters
The direction is clear: homes that are better protected against flooding are likely to get better terms. Knowing your flood risk, and what reduces it, is becoming more valuable, especially as the scheme winds down towards 2039.

What you can do now
• Check your flood risk on the Government’s long-term flood risk service, or read our guide to checking your flood risk.
• Ask your insurer or broker whether your policy is placed with Flood Re and whether it includes Build Back Better.
• If you are extending or rebuilding, think about drainage and flood risk from the start. Good surface water drainage and sustainable drainage (SuDS) can reduce the risk to your home and your neighbours.

How we can help
We are civil and structural engineers. We prepare flood risk assessments for planning, design drainage and SuDS for homes and developments, and can advise on how a property is affected by flood risk. We don’t handle insurance claims: eligibility and cover are always decided by Flood Re and your insurer.

Visit Flood Re →
Our flood risk assessments →
Our civil engineering services →
Get in touch or call 020 3835 2633