The EPC changed what gets asked at a viewing. A certificate does that: it gives people a question to ask.
On 13 October, Defra and Flood Re announced pilots for Flood Performance Certificates in England. The aim, as they put it, is a trusted source of information on a property's flood risk and resilience, similar to how an EPC works for energy. The pilot rating splits risk into exposure, characteristics and resistance, and builds on the existing Check Your Flood Risk service. Steps already taken, such as flood barriers or water-resilient flooring, would count.
Flood Re is running the pilots with homeowners, insurers and lenders. They start this year, with more in 2027 and beyond. The announcement doesn't say where, or how many homes, and the final template hasn't been published. The mock-up it shows is illustrative.
It's still early. The certificates are being piloted, and no mandatory certification requirement has been announced. But I read it as a sign of where the question may end up. A refurbishment settles a lot about how a building copes with water: floor finishes, what goes on the lower walls, where the services sit. Choices that are cheap while the work is happening are expensive to redo.
If you refurbish in an area with flood exposure, it costs nothing to ask your builder which items on your list would count.
Do buyers or tenants ask about flood risk where you operate?
Related: Coal mining, flood and ground risk checks, Environmental risk screener
Co-founder of Propalt and a property investor and developer for 20 years
