Build Back Better: getting PFR paid for after a flood claim

By the Drystead team

Checked 23 Oct 2026

PFR cost and payback estimator

Worked example

For your own prices or installer quote, your policy excess and your own estimate of what a flood would cost to repair (nothing is filled in for you):

  • Total outlay: your quote, or your item prices added up.
  • Break-even: how many floods the protection would need to keep out before it has cost no more than the repairs it saved, and, if you add a guess of how often a flood might come, roughly how many years that is.
  • A note on Flood Re's Build Back Better, which can pay towards protection as part of a flood claim, where your insurer offers it.

Source: Environment Agency, checked 23 Oct 2026; Association of British Insurers, checked 23 Oct 2026; Flood Re, checked 23 Oct 2026

After a flood, your insurer pays to put your home back as it was. Build Back Better is Flood Re's way of letting some insurers also pay towards flood protection while the repairs are being done, so the next flood does less damage.

What it is

Flood Re says Build Back Better lets householders install property flood resilience measures up to the value of £10,000 when repairing their homes after a flood. Property flood resilience (PFR) means changes that help keep water out of a home, or limit the damage if it gets in.

The customer stories on Flood Re's page mention measures such as pumps, barriers, flood doors, automatic air bricks, repointed brickwork and non-return valves. Flood Re says PFR can cut the cost of flood repairs by as much as 73% in some cases.

Who offers it

How to ask

  1. Before you buy or renew: Flood Re suggests speaking to your broker or insurer before you commit to a policy, to check whether it includes Build Back Better.
  2. When you claim: tell your insurer or loss adjuster early that you want to use it, before repairs are planned.
  3. Ask for a survey. A flood survey tells you which measures your home needs. Natural Resources Wales suggests a chartered surveyor. Ask your insurer whether the survey can be part of the claim.
  4. Ask about resilient repairs too. Repairs with resilient materials help a home dry and clean up quicker after the next flood. See our guide to drying out after a flood.

Questions to ask your insurer

Working out the rest

If the protection your home needs costs more than your insurer's limit, the estimator above can help you see the total and how many floods it would need to keep out to pay for itself. Put in the full quote, then compare it with what Build Back Better would cover.

FAQs

Can I use Build Back Better without a flood claim?

No. It's for homes being repaired after a flood claim. For protection before a flood, see what flood protection costs.

Is it only for Flood Re policies?

It depends on your insurer, not on whether your policy was passed to Flood Re. Ask your insurer whether your policy includes it.

Sources