Independent flood-risk and drainage review
Technical review of Flood Risk Assessments, drainage strategies and supporting evidence, including planning applications, third-party review and technical input to planning objections.
Independent flood-risk expertise
Independent technical insight for flood-risk decisions.
FloodCert provides focused, independent flood-risk support for properties, planning and drainage questions, while developing capability to support the emerging UK Flood Performance Certificate framework.
Current commissions include independent review of flood-risk assessments, drainage strategies and supporting evidence. FloodCert is also developing capability aligned with the emerging FPC framework, with the final service model and assessor requirements still to be confirmed.
Dr Sam Bray CEng C.WEM MCIWEM
Chartered Civil Engineer · Chartered Water and Environmental Manager · PhD in computational hydraulics
Based in Surrey
Well placed for site visits across the South East, with projects considered throughout the UK.
A property-level view
Questions an FPC should help answer
- Has the property experienced internal flooding?
- Which present-day flood hazards affect the main building?
- How do predicted depths compare with the lowest route of ingress?
- Which features increase damage, disruption or recovery time?
- Are existing resilience measures verified and maintained?
- Does uncertainty require a more detailed assessment?
Current services
Independent flood-risk support for properties and planning
FloodCert undertakes focused technical commissions where independent flood-risk, hydrology or drainage expertise can help clarify a decision. Scope is agreed proportionately to the question, with clear evidence, limitations and professional judgement.
Pre-purchase property flood-risk assessment
Desk-based assessment, with an optional site visit, for prospective buyers who want to understand flood risk beyond a standard property search. This is a specialist flood-risk assessment rather than a building survey.
Water Entry Strategies
Technical strategies for planning applications where controlled water entry, rapid level equalisation or internal flood resilience forms part of the proposed flood-risk approach. Structural engineering input is identified where required.
Property flood risk and resilience advice
Site-specific interpretation of flood pathways, likely routes of ingress, thresholds, existing resilience measures and proportionate options for reducing damage and disruption.
Based in Surrey, FloodCert is well placed for site visits across the South East, while desk-based and wider technical commissions are considered throughout the UK. All work is subject to scope, availability and relevant professional or conflict requirements.
Developing capability
Flood Performance Certificates
Alongside current technical work, FloodCert is developing capability aligned with the emerging UK Flood Performance Certificate framework. The objective is to help translate flood hazard, property characteristics and resilience evidence into a clearer property-level understanding of flood performance.
Flood hazard and history
Use authoritative data, modelled depths, reported flooding and local evidence to understand present-day risk from relevant sources.
Vulnerability and sensitivity
Relate flood depths to the lowest route of water ingress, construction, services, basements, alterations and other property features.
Verified resilience
Record existing resistance, recoverability and preparedness measures without assuming that their presence alone proves effectiveness.
Emerging assessment framework
A tiered, risk-based approach
Current research proposes three sequential assessment levels, with escalation based on flood vulnerability, property sensitivity, the verification of resilience measures and the level of remaining uncertainty.
Baseline for all residential properties
Authoritative public data and homeowner declarations establish flood history, all-source hazard, core property characteristics, lowest route of ingress, flood sensitivity and existing PFR.
Desktop or remote assessor review
More detailed review is proposed where the property is vulnerable with no or unverified PFR, or following renewed internal flooding. Additional sensitivities, drainage or sewer risk and warning availability are considered.
On-site professional assessment
An on-site assessment is proposed where significant uncertainty remains, local hazards or pathways require investigation, PFR cannot be verified remotely, or an existing rating is challenged.
FloodCert's eventual service scope will be finalised when rating, accreditation and assessor-competency requirements are confirmed. Enhanced assessments would be undertaken only by, or in collaboration with, an appropriately registered PFR professional.
FPC technical positioning
Technical capability relevant to the emerging framework
The emerging framework depends on more than collecting a checklist. It requires defensible interpretation of flood data, property-specific pathways, uncertainty and escalation. Those are areas closely aligned with FloodCert's existing technical experience.
Hazard data and uncertainty
Interpret all-source flood mapping, probabilities, depths, historic evidence and limitations, including where area-level datasets may not reliably describe an individual building.
Routes of water ingress
Relate local topography, thresholds, openings, drainage features and flood pathways to predicted water levels and the physical characteristics of the property.
Pilots, methods and quality assurance
Support trial assessments, test escalation triggers, develop reproducible data-collection methods and translate technically complex evidence into clear homeowner guidance.
FloodCert is particularly well suited to technical development, pilot work and future Standard+ style desktop or remote assessment, subject to the final competency requirements. FloodCert does not currently present itself as an approved FPC assessor or a registered PFR professional.
Supporting technical analysis
Evidence and analysis that can support a wider commission
Depending on the question, FloodCert can draw on a broader set of flood-risk and hydrological analysis to support the main services above.
Flood mapping and data interpretation
Interpretation of official flood mapping, modelled information, topography, property searches and other datasets, with attention to scale, uncertainty and property-level relevance.
Hydrology, rainfall and historic flooding
Review of rainfall, hydrological records, photographs, reported flood history and other evidence to help understand flood mechanisms, event context and the significance of observed flooding.
Flood pathways, levels and routes of ingress
Technical interpretation of ground levels, thresholds, drainage features, predicted flood depths and local pathways to understand how flooding may interact with a particular property or site.
Technical evidence review
Independent review and synthesis of supporting reports, calculations, drawings and third-party evidence where a clear technical opinion is needed for a defined decision.
About FloodCert
Hydrology, engineering and property flood expertise
FloodCert Ltd was established to develop rigorous and understandable Flood Performance Certificates for UK properties.
FloodCert is founded by Dr Sam Bray CEng C.WEM MCIWEM, a Chartered Civil Engineer and Chartered Water and Environmental Manager with a PhD in computational hydraulics. His experience spans hydrology, hydraulic modelling, flood-risk assessment and the critical interpretation of complex flood evidence.
That combination supports a critical and transparent approach: examining not only what a flood-risk output says, but how it was produced, where uncertainty remains and what the evidence means for a particular decision or property.
Contact FloodCert
Discuss a flood-risk project or register interest in future FPCs
Based in Surrey, FloodCert can support site-based work across the South East while considering commissions and future FPC work throughout the UK.