Anyone can call themselves a flood specialist. Before you let someone survey your home, design protection or fit products, check they are on a register that independently tests their competence. Here are the registers and directories that matter in England, what each one tells you, and the questions to ask.
Property flood resilience (PFR) works only when it is done in the right order: a survey of how water would get into your home, a design that fits the building and the flood risk, products that have been tested, and proper installation. That sequence is set out in the industry's Code of Practice for Property Flood Resilience. A product sold without a survey, or fitted badly, can leave you paying for protection that doesn't protect. Our guide to flood doors and barriers shows how easily that happens.
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) runs a Specialist Register that certifies PFR surveyors and installers against the Code of Practice. To get on it, a professional must complete PFR training, prove the required competencies and pass a PFR-focused professional review interview. CIWEM developed its training with the Environment Agency. Professionals accepted onto the register are listed on BeFloodReady and CIWEM's own pages.
On 5 October 2026 the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and CIWEM announced that they will work together on PFR. RICS will support CIWEM's training and Specialist Register among its members, and its Find a Surveyor service will help homeowners identify firms offering flood-related services, including those whose professionals have completed CIWEM's training and joined the register. The water and flooding minister, Emma Hardy, said the partnership means "trusted, dependable expertise will be easier to find when people need it most."
The government's own flood guidance points homeowners to the Property Care Association to find flood specialists.
The National Flood Forum's Blue Pages is the directory of flood protection products and services the government recommends. It helps you see what is available; it is not a guarantee of any one firm's work.
Flood Performance Certificates are being developed to show a home's flood risk and the resilience measures in place, in a similar way to an energy certificate. Our article on Flood Performance Certificates explains where the plans stand and who is likely to be able to issue them.
If you are dealing with a flood now, start with what to do after a flood, or see our guides to property flood resilience grants and Build Back Better.
Sources: CIWEM / BeFloodReady, CIWEM's Specialist Register for PFR professionals; RICS, RICS and CIWEM announce collaboration to strengthen property flood resilience (5 October 2026); Environment Agency, Adapting your home or business to the risk of flooding. All read 20 October 2026.
No obligation. No jargon. By the end of the call you will have a clear view of your options — whether you engage RISE or not.
Call any time No callback RISE directly