Property Flood Resilience (PFR)

How to protect your property from flooding

    PFR - what is it?

    Property Flood Resilience (PFR) consists of being prepared for flooding, as detailed in the previous two tabs (1 & 2),  but it also includes physical measures that you can put in place around and/or within your own property to increase its resilience to flooding.

    There are two main types of physical PFR measures:

    1) Resistance measures 

    Resistance measures help slow the rate of flood water getting in to a property. They can include:

    • removable flood boards and barriers
    • airbrick covers
    • non-return valves to drains and pipes
    • flood resistant doors


    2) Recoverability measures

    Recoverability measures help minimise the damage flood water can cause if it does get inside a property. They can include:

    • water compatible flooring and skirting boards
    • water compatible internal walls
    • raised plug sockets
    • water resilient kitchen

    For an interactive virtual tour of the PFR measures you could implement, see the Flood Mobile.

    Many more examples/kinds of PFR measures exist than the handful listed above. To see some further examples of PFR, visit:




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    PFR - is it suitable for me?

    Some PFR measures can be installed relatively cheaply. However, the costs when multiple measures are installed simultaneously, as is often the case, can quickly become eye watering, especially for anyone who has already been impacted by one or more flooding event/s. The following link contains a very rough cost estimate tool for PFR measures for your property - Property Protection Advisor – National Flood Forum, while the below link has a useful diagram for the different PFR measures along with how much they typically cost - Property Flood Resilience (PFR) – Cornwall Community Flood Forum (open link and scroll down to building diagrams).

    That being said, having an insurance policy that offers the Build Back Better (BBB) scheme gives householders the option to install up to £10,000 worth of property flood resilience (PFR) measures following a flood, which can include have a PFR survey of your property. Reducing the impacts of any subsequent flooding.

    If you already have an insurance policy that offers BBB it is worth checking how much they will re-imburse you, as not all insurers/policies offer the full amount of £10,000.

    If you don't already have a BBB policy, you can find out more about it here - BBB Archives - Flood Re. You can also find useful information and links on acquiring flooding insurance in this page's 'insurance' section.



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    Things to consider

    PFR Surveys

    While Resistance and Recoverability PFR measures are typically used in tandem, the most effective property flood resilience measures change from property to property, depending on a wide range of factors, including: the height flood waters reach, the type and design of a property and its construction, the ground/soil characteristics, how long the flood waters typically remain for, how often you are away from home / the property, the source of flooding, etc...

    If the incorrect measures are installed for your property they could have no effect, resulting in an unnecessary outlay. Or worse, they could exacerbate flooding damage by leading to: structural damage from the weight of the water or buoyant forces, damage from erosion or debris, or from corrosion or fungi etc...

    - For more info on this, see the CIRIA guidance section at the bottom of this tab, then follow the instructions to download Part B and read pages 86-93.


    It is therefore very advisable to have a professional PFR survey of your property to assess the best options and ensure the PFR measures are effective. 

     - This should only be undertaken by someone who - 'carries the appropriate professional indemnity insurance and is able to demonstrate required levels of skills, knowledge and experience. This may be done through previous work experience, membership of a professional body and/or certificate training'.  - (CIRIA C790A Code of practice for property flood resilience. Edition 2). 


    To help find someone suitably qualified, CIWEM have developed a 'Specialist Register for Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Professionals' who have been independently assessed and demonstrate competency in PFR delivery (click the above link and scroll down to the table, to see the register of PFR professionals).

    Additionally, you can visit the Blue Pages (the 'Survey' sections in the left hand column) to find suitable providers of this service, or visit A Flood Defence Survey for Your Property - UK Flood Defence Alliance for a free survey. But remember to check the credentials of the surveyor/assessor to make sure they are sufficiently qualified! 



    Buying a PFR flood product

    If you are considering buying a flood product, be careful, as there are poor quality products out there. Make sure to check the products have been properly tested and are up to the job - it should display the BSI Kitemark or equivalent accreditation for the national quality standard PAS 1188.

    The British Standards Institution (BSI) maintains a list of all manufacturers of flood protection products that have been tested and achieved Kitemark accreditation - BSI Kitemark Certification Programs.

    Equally, KIWA, a Dutch company involved in testing, inspection and certification, has introduced the KIWA Approved certification for PFR products, which is the equivalent of the BSI Kitemark.



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    PFR - useful links

    Below are some useful links:

    It is worth exploring all the resources these websites have to offer, beyond just the linked page:


    For a more in depth look at PFR measures and their implementation:

    CIRIA have created several documents (published in 2020) that may be of use. You will need to create an account, after which you'll be able to download the documents for free from the bookshop.

    There are four documents, which together form the overarching CIRIA 'Code of practice for property flood resilience (C790)':

    Part

    Why should I read it?

    What's in it?

    AYou are concerned about the flood risk to your property or you have been flooded before and want to protect your home or business from further damage.An overview of PFR, explaining how it plays a part in flood risk management and the basic principles. Details of who might be involved and where to begin.
    BYou have decided to go ahead with PFR and you want to understand the whole process and what good practice should look like.Includes the codes of practice, the standards and requirements. It explains what should be achieved.
    CYou want to understand what you or your professionals should do to achieve good practice when implementing PFR.Step-by-step guidance on how the standards and requirements can be achieved.
    D
    		You want to understand more about a particular part of the process and your questions are not answered in Part C.Extra information that goes beyond the step-by-step guidance.
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