Flood Defence Grants in the East Midlands: How to Make the Most of Funding for Your Home

Protecting your home from flooding costs money. Depending on the number of entry points and the type of defences needed, a comprehensive scheme for a typical home might run from £3,000 to £10,000 or more. That's a significant investment, even when weighed against the cost and heartbreak of flood damage.

The good news is that funding is often available to help. This guide explains the main routes for getting financial support towards flood defences in the East Midlands, and how to make sure any money you receive is spent on protection that actually works.

Two Main Routes to Funding

There are two main ways to access funding for property flood resilience measures: council grants that appear after major flood events, and the Flood Re Build Back Better scheme that works through your home insurance.

Council Grants After Flood Events

When significant flooding affects an area, the Government sometimes activates the Flood Recovery Framework. This releases funding that local councils can distribute to affected properties for flood resilience measures.

These grants typically offer up to £5,000 per property and are administered by county councils. They're specifically for properties that experienced internal flooding during the qualifying event, and they come with deadlines for application and completion of works.

The important thing to understand about council grants is that they come and go. A scheme might be open for 12 to 18 months following a major flood, then close permanently. If your property was flooded and you didn't apply in time, that particular pot of money is gone.

Current situation in Lincolnshire: Following severe flooding across the county in January 2025, Lincolnshire County Council created a £1 million grant fund for affected residents. If your property was internally flooded between 1 and 31 January 2025, you may still be eligible for up to £5,000. Contact the Flood and Water Management Team at PropertyFloodResilience@lincolnshire.gov.uk to check your eligibility.

Lincolnshire also runs a trial Homeowner Property Flood Resilience assistance scheme for properties that have flooded due to heavy rainfall and remain at risk. This is separate from event-specific grants and has limited places available.

For Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire: The national DEFRA grant schemes linked to Storm Babet and Storm Henk have now closed. However, new schemes may open following future flood events. Your best approach is to contact your county council's flood team directly to ask what's currently available.

Flood Re Build Back Better

This is the funding route that most people overlook, and it's arguably more valuable than council grants because it's ongoing rather than tied to specific events.

Flood Re is a joint initiative between the Government and the insurance industry. It's been running since 2016 and will continue until 2039. Its main purpose is to make flood insurance affordable for high-risk properties, but since 2022 it has also offered something called Build Back Better.

How Build Back Better works:

If your home floods and you make a claim on your insurance, Build Back Better allows your insurer to include flood resilience measures as part of the repair work. This can be worth up to £10,000 on top of your normal claim settlement.

So rather than simply replacing your damaged floor with an identical floor, your insurer might install flood-resistant flooring, fit flood barriers to your doors, add automatic airbrick covers, or install non-return valves on your drains. The idea is that when the repairs are complete, your home is better protected against the next flood, not just restored to how it was before.

Which insurers offer it?

As of early 2025, 77% of UK home insurers had signed up to Build Back Better, including major names like Admiral, Aviva, and Direct Line. However, not every policy includes it automatically, and insurers set their own limits on how much they'll contribute.

If you're in a flood risk area, it's worth checking whether your current policy includes Build Back Better. If it doesn't, consider switching to an insurer that offers it. The time to do this is before you flood, not after.

Key points about Build Back Better:

• It only applies if you make a flood claim, so you can't access it proactively
• Each insurer sets their own terms and limits
• Not all policies are eligible, even with participating insurers
• Measures are installed as part of the repair process, so you don't receive cash directly
• It applies to properties covered by Flood Re, which excludes homes built after 2009 and commercial properties

To find out if your policy includes Build Back Better, check your policy documents or contact your insurer directly.

What Funding Can Be Used For

Whether you're accessing a council grant or Build Back Better through your insurance, the money is intended for Property Flood Resilience measures. These fall into two categories.

Resistance measures stop water getting into your property:

• Flood barriers for doorways (demountable systems that slot into fixed channels)
• Flood doors (replacement doors with integral flood resistance)
• Automatic airbrick covers or self-closing airbricks
• Non-return valves to prevent drain and sewer backflow
• Sealing around pipe and cable entry points
• Waterproof renders or membranes for external walls

Resilience measures reduce damage when water does get in:

• Sump pumps to remove water quickly
• Raised electrical sockets and consumer units
• Water-resistant flooring and wall finishes
• Lime plaster instead of gypsum (dries faster)
• Repositioning boilers and other vulnerable equipment

Most funding schemes prioritise resistance measures because they prevent flooding rather than just limiting damage. If your budget is limited, focus on keeping water out.

Making Your Funding Go Further

Whether you're working with a £5,000 council grant or £10,000 through Build Back Better, the money needs to be spent wisely. Here's how to get the best value.

Get a proper survey first

Before any work starts, you need to understand exactly where water could enter your property. A professional flood survey identifies all the vulnerabilities and recommends appropriate measures.

This isn't just about ticking a box for grant compliance. It's about making sure money goes where it's needed. There's no point fitting a barrier to your front door if water is going to come straight through your airbricks or up through your drains.

Council grants typically include a contribution towards survey costs (often around £800). For Build Back Better claims, your insurer will usually arrange their own assessment.

Prioritise effectively

Your survey will probably identify multiple entry points, but they won't all be equally important. Work with your surveyor and installer to prioritise based on:

• Which entry points are most likely to let water in
• The likely depth and duration of flooding at your property
• Which measures give the best protection for the money

A single well-fitted barrier on your main flood entry point is worth more than spreading money thinly across lower-risk areas.

Don't just chase the cheapest quote

Grant schemes quite rightly want to see value for money, but cheapest isn't always best value. Poorly installed barriers can fail when you need them most. Substandard products might not meet PAS1188 certification standards. And if your installer disappears after the job, you've got no support when flood warnings come through.

For resistance measures like flood barriers and doors, Defra typically requires installers to have completed CIWEM Property Flood Resilience Foundation training. This ensures they understand how to assess vulnerabilities, select appropriate products, and install them correctly.

But training certificates are just the starting point. What you really want is an installer with:

• Experience fitting the specific products being used
• Local presence so they're available for ongoing support
• A track record you can verify with previous customers
• Willingness to explain what they're fitting and why

A slightly higher quote from an established local company with proper training and ongoing support is worth more than saving a few hundred pounds on someone who's here today, gone tomorrow.

Think about ongoing costs

Some flood defence products need regular maintenance. Seals can perish, mechanisms can stiffen, and components may need replacing over time. When comparing options, factor in the long-term costs, not just the installation price.

Ask your installer about maintenance requirements and whether they offer ongoing servicing. A local company that you can call when something needs attention is worth having.

Checking What's Available Now

Flood funding schemes change regularly. Council grants open after major floods and close once deadlines pass. New initiatives appear. Eligibility criteria shift.

The most reliable way to find out what's currently available is to contact your local authority directly:

Lincolnshire County Council Flood and Water Management Team Email: PropertyFloodResilience@lincolnshire.gov.uk Web: lincolnshire.gov.uk/flood-risk-management

Nottinghamshire County Council Flood Risk Team Web: nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/flooding-help-and-advice

Leicestershire County Council Flood Risk Team Email: floodgrant@leics.gov.uk Web: leicestershire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/flooding-and-drainage

For Build Back Better, contact your home insurer directly or check your policy documents. If your current insurer doesn't offer it, the Flood Re website (floodre.co.uk) has a tool to help you find insurers who do.

What If There's No Funding Available?

Sometimes there simply isn't a grant scheme open, and your insurance doesn't include Build Back Better. That doesn't mean you should wait for the next flood before protecting your home.

The cost of flood damage typically runs into tens of thousands of pounds, not counting the emotional toll and the months of disruption while repairs are completed. Against that, spending a few thousand pounds on proper flood defences is a sound investment.

Some options if you're funding defences yourself:

Start with the highest priorities. You don't have to do everything at once. A barrier for your most vulnerable door and some automatic airbrick covers might cost under £2,000 and make a real difference.

Consider the payback through insurance. Some insurers offer reduced premiums for properties with certified flood defences. Over time, this can offset part of your investment.

Check for community schemes. In some areas, the Environment Agency or local drainage boards run schemes that provide PFR measures to multiple properties. These aren't always well publicised, so it's worth asking.

Ask about payment options. Some installers offer staged payments or can work with finance arrangements if a lump sum is difficult.

Getting Started

If you're in a flood risk area and want to understand your options, start by checking your flood risk using our free flood risk assessment tool. This uses Environment Agency data to show flood zones and historical events for your postcode.

For advice on what protection measures would suit your property, or help navigating the funding options available, get in touch with us. We stay on top of what grants are open and can help you make the most of whatever funding is available.

Flooding is stressful. Working out how to pay for flood defences shouldn't add to that stress. Whether there's a grant available or you're funding it yourself, we're here to help you find the right solution.

GDCG supplies and installs flood barriers and flood defence systems across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire. We're a local company that stays up to date with funding schemes and can help you access and use them effectively. Contact us to discuss your flood protection needs.