Flood risk areas, postcode area by postcode area
Across the 411 postcode districts with a guide so far, in 14 postcode areas, 196 of the 3711 postcodes we checked are in a mapped river or sea flood area (in B5, B11, B19, B35, B46, B49 and 91 more districts).
Surface water flood risk, from heavy rain, is medium or high at 242 of the 3656 postcodes we checked: it reaches far more postcodes than rivers and the sea do.
From Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales flood maps, checked at 7 to 9 postcodes in each district guide, the newest built in October 2026. These are the postcode areas we've built guides for so far, not a map of the whole country. Facts with their sources, not a rating: an area with nothing found isn't safe, and one with findings isn't unsafe. The maps describe the ground, not any home.
Check a postcode
Free, from the official flood maps for England, Scotland and Wales. No account needed.
Postcode area by postcode area
Sampled: the centre of 7 to 9 postcodes in each district
| Postcode area | Districts with a guide | In a river or sea flood area | Surface water medium or high | Found in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B Birmingham | 77 | 26 of 720 postcodes | 38 of 720 postcodes | B1, B2, B5, B7, B9, B10, B11, B13, B16, B17, B18, B19, B23, B24, B26, B27, B28, B35, B36, B37, B38, B44, B46, B47, B49, B50, B62, B63, B65, B66, B68, B69, B71, B73, B78, B80, B90, B92, B95, B96, B98 |
| BL Bolton | 9 | None of 72 postcodes | 5 of 72 postcodes | BL1, BL3, BL5, BL7 |
| BS Bristol | 37 | 38 of 336 postcodes | 32 of 336 postcodes | BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8, BS11, BS13, BS14, BS20, BS21, BS22, BS23, BS24, BS26, BS28, BS29, BS30, BS31, BS34, BS35, BS49 |
| DE Derby | 23 | 22 of 196 postcodes | 12 of 196 postcodes | DE1, DE4, DE5, DE11, DE12, DE13, DE14, DE21, DE22, DE24, DE45, DE65, DE72, DE75 |
| LS Leeds | 29 | 12 of 260 postcodes | 18 of 260 postcodes | LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, LS5, LS6, LS7, LS8, LS9, LS13, LS15, LS17, LS20, LS21, LS22, LS24, LS28 |
| LE Leicester | 21 | 11 of 208 postcodes | 16 of 208 postcodes | LE1, LE4, LE5, LE7, LE8, LE9, LE11, LE12, LE13, LE14, LE16, LE18, LE19 |
| L Liverpool | 40 | 4 of 364 postcodes | 41 of 364 postcodes | L2, L3, L4, L5, L7, L10, L11, L16, L19, L20, L21, L22, L23, L24, L26, L27, L29, L30, L31, L37, L38 |
| M Manchester | 42 | 8 of 420 postcodes | 22 of 404 postcodes | M2, M3, M5, M7, M8, M9, M13, M14, M17, M19, M20, M22, M24, M29, M30, M32, M35, M40, M41, M43, M44, M46, M50 |
| NG Nottingham | 29 | 29 of 264 postcodes | 14 of 258 postcodes | NG2, NG4, NG5, NG6, NG8, NG10, NG11, NG12, NG14, NG15, NG17, NG20, NG22, NG23, NG24, NG25, NG31, NG32, NG33 |
| OL Oldham | 16 | 10 of 128 postcodes | 7 of 111 postcodes | OL2, OL3, OL6, OL7, OL10, OL12, OL13, OL14, OL15 |
| S Sheffield | 45 | 18 of 400 postcodes | 19 of 393 postcodes | S3, S4, S5, S7, S9, S12, S18, S21, S26, S32, S36, S40, S41, S43, S60, S61, S64, S71, S73 |
| SK Stockport | 19 | 4 of 152 postcodes | 6 of 142 postcodes | SK1, SK2, SK6, SK8, SK9, SK12, SK13, SK17 |
| WA Warrington | 16 | 12 of 128 postcodes | 8 of 128 postcodes | WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4, WA6, WA7, WA8, WA10, WA11, WA14, WA16 |
| WN Wigan | 8 | 2 of 63 postcodes | 4 of 64 postcodes | WN2, WN4, WN7, WN8 |
Each district guide checks 7 to 9 postcodes spread across the district, so "5 of 61 postcodes" means five of those centres, not a share of homes. Open a district for its own guide, with every postcode listed.
Flood risk town by town
The same check, district by district, for the towns with enough guides:
What it means when you buy
Look the postcode up on the official flood map for its country. In England, the flood zone is the chance of flooding from rivers or the sea in any year, ignoring flood defences:
- Flood Zone 1: less than 1 in 1,000.
- Flood Zone 2: between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 100 from rivers, or 1 in 200 from the sea.
- Flood Zone 3: 1 in 100 or more from rivers, or 1 in 200 or more from the sea.
- Surface water from heavy rain is mapped separately and affects many homes away from rivers and the sea. Scotland and Wales use their own maps and bands.
- Whether the area has flooded before: in England, the Environment Agency records the outlines of past floods.
Flood risk can affect what insurance costs, whether a lender is comfortable, and what the home is worth when you come to sell. Finding out before you offer means you can ask questions while you can still walk away cheaply.
Flood maps are models, not promises. A low-risk area can still flood, and a higher-risk one may have defences. The maps tell you where to ask more questions.
Use the postcode check to decide whether to look closer, then check the house before you offer.
Questions to ask about a home
- Has the house, the garden or the access road flooded while the seller has owned it?
- Has a flood insurance claim ever been made, and what does buildings insurance cost now, with flood cover?
- Does the home have flood protection, such as flood doors or air-brick covers, and who maintains it?
- What does the environmental search say, and does it agree with the maps?
The full report checks the house itself, not the postcode, and ties each question to what it found. See an example report.