Flood Performance Certificates: 2026 Guide

England’s new flood certificate pilots explained: what is confirmed, how FPCs compare with EPCs, and practical steps for Midlands homeowners and landlords.

England guide · Fact-checked 16 October 2026 · By Darryl Baggott, Skyline Technical Services

Flood Performance Certificates were discussed at the PePA conference I attended. With the latest pilot announcement, this is a useful moment to explain what the idea could mean for homeowners, landlords and letting agents.

The important question is practical: if floodwater reaches a home, what protection is already in place, what remains vulnerable, and what evidence would help an owner make sensible improvements?

Current position: Flood Performance Certificates are entering a pilot phase. The 13 October 2026 announcement does not introduce a blanket requirement for every landlord to obtain one. The final certificate design remains in development. Treat claims of a universal rental deadline with caution and check the official guidance.

What is a Flood Performance Certificate?

A Flood Performance Certificate, or FPC, is being developed as a consistent way to communicate a home's flood risk and resilience. The proposed rating considers exposure, building characteristics and resistance measures.

The Government and Flood Re announced pilots on 13 October 2026, starting in at-risk areas during 2026 and continuing through 2027 and beyond. The final template has not yet been published.

Source: Defra's October pilot announcement.

Think of the practical value as a joined-up property record. A map can describe a hazard; a record of the building and its protection can help explain what an owner has done about it.

How would an FPC compare with an EPC?

The comparison with an Energy Performance Certificate helps explain the concept. It does not mean the two schemes have identical rules, ratings or delivery arrangements.

Question	EPC	Developing FPC approach
Main subject	Energy performance	Flood risk and resilience
Useful property information	Building fabric and energy systems	Flood exposure, building characteristics and protection measures
Owner's practical decision	Which energy improvements to investigate	Which resilience improvements to investigate
Status	Established certification system	Pilots and methodology development
Does it replace the other?	No	No

An efficient home can still be vulnerable to flooding. Equally, flood protection does not establish that a home is energy efficient. Owners need to consider both when planning work.

For energy assessment support, see our EPC services.

What information could an assessment use?

Flood Re's July 2026 research, undertaken by RAB Consultants with Sedgwick, brings together three groups of information: property characteristics, flood hazard and existing property flood resilience measures.

It describes a tiered approach: householders supply basic information; more complex cases can receive a desktop review; the most complex cases or recent floods can require a detailed assessment. This is a developing framework, rather than confirmation that every home will need the same survey.

Source: Flood Re's research announcement.

For an owner preparing a property file, useful questions include:

What flood information has already been obtained for this address?
Is there a record of previous flooding and the repairs that followed?
What protection has been fitted, and where are its specifications?
Who installed it, when was it checked, and what maintenance is required?
Does any protection depend on someone attending and deploying it?

These are suggested preparation questions, not a final official FPC submission checklist.

Are Flood Performance Certificates compulsory for landlords?

The pilot announcement is not a new universal landlord certification duty. It does not set a mandatory rental deadline or publish a national certificate fee.

Keep three matters separate when reading headlines:

A pilot: testing how the proposed certificate works.
A future policy proposal: an idea that may change before implementation.
An applicable legal requirement: a duty supported by the relevant legislation and commencement arrangements.

A landlord should not assume that a headline about an “EPC for flooding” means another certificate must immediately be purchased. Equally, there is no reason to postpone sensible flood preparation while pilots develop.

Could it affect insurance or a property sale?

Flood Re sees consistent resilience information as a way to make protective work more visible to insurers and the housing market. Its July research announcement identifies an ambition to connect the certificates with discounted premium structures by 2028.

That is a development aim, not a guaranteed discount, property-value increase or promise of cover for an individual home. Ask the insurer how it assesses the specific property and which evidence it accepts.

Flood Re's own 2026 transition report describes trials through Environment Agency schemes, with wider potential uses including claims, housing-market initiatives and new construction. It also highlights the importance of supporting evidence.

For a sale or purchase, keep flood searches, insurance terms and specialist advice together. Do not treat a general property inspection as a substitute for a specialist flood assessment or a conveyancer's enquiries.

Check flood risk now: the official starting point

You do not need to wait for an FPC to investigate your area.

Use the free Government long-term flood risk checker for England. It covers rivers and the sea, surface water, reservoirs and groundwater where information is available, and includes climate-change information.

Its limits matter: the service describes area-level risk. It does not tell you precisely how likely an individual building is to flood, and it excludes some causes such as blocked drains and burst pipes.

For owners in Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Tamworth and the wider Midlands, the sensible approach is to check each address individually. Being away from a major river is not a reason to overlook surface water.

Save the date and result of your check alongside any follow-up enquiries. A dated record is easier to review than an undated screenshot with no property reference.

Practical improvements: resistance and recovery

There are two useful objectives: reduce water entering where appropriate, and reduce damage and recovery time if it does get inside.

The Government's property flood preparation guidance gives examples including:

Possible measure	Purpose to discuss with a competent specialist
Flood doors or suitable barriers	Reduce entry through vulnerable openings
Self-closing air bricks	Protect ventilation openings during flooding
Suitable non-return valves	Reduce backflow through drainage routes
Raised electrical sockets	Reduce exposure of electrical fittings
Tiles instead of carpets	Consider more resilient floor finishes

These are examples to investigate, rather than a specification for every house. The building, flood source, likely water depth and suitability of the complete system need consideration. Changes to electrical installations require appropriate expertise.

When planning refurbishment, ask whether resilience can be considered alongside the proposed works. Record the advice, design decisions and completed installation rather than relying only on a photograph of a product.

A landlord and letting-agent preparation checklist

The following is Skyline's suggested management checklist, not a list of mandatory FPC uploads:

Check official flood information for the address and save a dated record.
Gather known flood-history information and previous specialist reports.
Photograph existing protection and identify its make and model where possible.
Retain installation instructions, invoices, guarantees and maintenance records.
Establish who checks and maintains any protective measures.
Agree how tenants report concerns and how the agent escalates them.
Keep emergency contacts and an accessible flood plan.
Discuss relevant cover and disclosure questions with the insurer.
Seek specialist advice where the risk or existing protection is unclear.

Where available, sign up for the Environment Agency's free flood warnings. The service covers rivers, the sea or groundwater depending on the area; it does not provide surface-water flood warnings. A warning subscription therefore cannot be your entire preparation plan.

For managed homes, make responsibilities specific. “Barrier kept in garage” is less useful than a record stating where it is, who knows how to fit it and how it is maintained.

How Skyline can help with property records

Skyline Technical Services supports owners and agents with inventories and mid-term inspections, photographic condition records, EPC assessments and organised property information across the Midlands.

Our practical recommendation is to keep inspection findings, reported problems, contractor instructions and completion evidence connected to the same property. That approach makes future enquiries easier to answer, whether they concern maintenance, energy performance or existing flood-protection documents.

For example, an inspection may record a visibly damaged component. The property file should then show the instruction to investigate, the competent contractor's findings and the evidence of completion. A dated sequence is more useful than an isolated “job done” note.

This article does not advertise Skyline as an FPC certification provider. General condition documentation does not certify flood performance or verify the engineering effectiveness of protection measures.

Contact Skyline about inspections and property records, or request a quote for our existing services.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Flood Performance Certificate the same as a flood search?

No. A search supplies information about flood risk. The developing FPC approach aims to bring risk, property characteristics and resilience information together. Neither should be assumed to replace the specific searches or advice requested by a conveyancer, lender or insurer.

Does an FPC replace my EPC?

No. They address different property issues: energy performance and flood resilience.

Can I get a guaranteed insurance discount?

No individual discount is guaranteed by the pilot announcement. Ask your insurer which improvements and evidence it recognises before making decisions based on an assumed saving.

Will every FPC require an assessor to visit?

That has not been established. Published research describes basic household information, desktop review and enhanced assessment for different levels of complexity. Do not assume one delivery route applies to every home.

Should I wait for the pilot before preparing my property?

You can check official risk information, organise records, prepare a flood plan and obtain appropriate specialist advice now. Those actions do not depend on buying a future certificate.

Sources and publication note

This guide covers England and was checked on 16 October 2026. Links below distinguish official announcements from Skyline's practical preparation suggestions.

Pilot arrangements and policy may change. Check the linked official sources before commissioning certification or relying on a claimed deadline.

Flood Performance Certificates Explained: What Homeowners and Landlords Need to Know