> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.propaideals.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Flood risk endpoint

> Check whether a UK property or coordinate falls inside a flood risk zone. PostGIS spatial check against 144,000+ flood zone polygons sourced from EA flood map and SEPA.

# Flood risk

Check whether a UK location is inside a flood risk zone. Backed by **144,000+ flood zone polygons** stored as PostGIS geometries, sourced from the Environment Agency flood map (England & Wales) and SEPA (Scotland).

**Required scope:** `planning:read`
**Cost:** 1 request per call
**Available on:** Starter, Professional, Business

## Check by coordinates

```http theme={null}
GET /api/v1/flood-risk/coordinates?lat={lat}&lon={lon}
```

PostGIS `ST_Contains` check against the `flood_zones` table. If the point falls inside multiple overlapping zones, returns the highest-risk match.

### Request

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://api.propaideals.co.uk/api/v1/flood-risk/coordinates?lat=53.4808&lon=-2.2426" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer paid_..."
```

```python theme={null}
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.propaideals.co.uk/api/v1/flood-risk/coordinates",
    params={"lat": 53.4808, "lon": -2.2426},
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
)
risk = res.json()["data"]
if risk["in_flood_zone"]:
    print(f"At risk: {risk['risk_level']} ({risk['zone_category']})")
else:
    print("Outside any flood zone")
```

### Response (in zone)

```json theme={null}
{
  "data": {
    "lat": 53.4808,
    "lon": -2.2426,
    "in_flood_zone": true,
    "risk_level": "high",
    "zone_category": "3a",
    "zone_type": "rivers",
    "source": "ea_flood_map"
  }
}
```

### Response (no risk)

```json theme={null}
{
  "data": {
    "lat": 53.4808,
    "lon": -2.2426,
    "in_flood_zone": false,
    "risk_level": null,
    "zone_category": null,
    "zone_type": null,
    "source": null
  }
}
```

The endpoint returns `200` even when the point isn't in any zone — `in_flood_zone: false` is the signal.

## Check by property ID

```http theme={null}
GET /api/v1/flood-risk/property/{property_id}
```

Looks up the property's stored coordinates and runs the same check. Honours the precomputed `is_flood_zone` flag if it's already set on the property row, falling back to the spatial query otherwise.

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://api.propaideals.co.uk/api/v1/flood-risk/property/5fa1b2c3-d4e5-6f78-9012-3456789abcde" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer paid_..."
```

Returns the same `FloodRiskResponse` shape.

## Risk levels

| Level    | Zone category | Annual probability  | What it means                                                                               |
| -------- | ------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `high`   | 3a, 3b        | > 1.0% (rivers/sea) | Significant flood risk — insurance premiums materially higher, lender restrictions possible |
| `medium` | 2             | 0.1–1.0%            | Moderate risk — disclose on conveyancing                                                    |
| `low`    | 1             | \< 0.1%             | Low risk                                                                                    |
| *(none)* | —             | —                   | Not in any mapped zone                                                                      |

## Use cases

* **Conveyancing checks** — Pre-flag flood risk before instructing a search
* **Mortgage underwriting** — Lenders can decline or surcharge high-risk properties
* **Insurance scoring** — Quote adjustments based on flood zone overlap
* **Investor due diligence** — Filter portfolio acquisitions by flood risk
* **Refurb planning** — Avoid putting flood-vulnerable improvements in zone 3 properties

## Coverage

| Region           | Coverage              | Source          |
| ---------------- | --------------------- | --------------- |
| England          | All flood zones 2 + 3 | EA flood map    |
| Wales            | All flood zones       | NRW flood map   |
| Scotland         | All categories        | SEPA flood maps |
| Northern Ireland | Limited               | DfI Rivers      |

Total: **144,237 polygon records** across all UK home nations.

## Related endpoints

* **[Heritage status](./heritage)** — Listed building & conservation area data (often correlated with flood risk)
* **[Properties](./properties)** — Use the `is_flood_zone=false` filter to exclude flood-risk listings entirely
* **[Spatial search](./spatial)** — Combine viewport queries with flood-risk filtering