Design flood event
For the purposes of the Home Quality Mark, a design flood event is a historic or notional flood event of a given annual probability, against which the suitability of a proposed development is assessed and mitigation measures, if any, are designed.
The design flood level is the maximum estimated water level during the design storm event including an allowance for climate change in line with current best practice national planning guidance. The design flood level for a site can be determined through either known historical data or modelled for the specific site.
Ref Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales, published by BRE in 2018.
See also: Flood event.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- BREEAM Flood risk management.
- BREEAM Surface water run-off.
- BRE articles.
- Changing attitudes to property flood resilience in the UK
- Flood.
- Flood level.
- Home Quality Mark.
- Building Research Establishment.
- Flood and Water Management Act.
- Flood event.
- Flood plain
- Flood risk
- Flood risk assessment.
- Flood risk management plan
- Flood zone
- Flood defences
- Planning for floods.
- Property flood resilience
- Surface water
- Sustainable urban drainage systems.
Featured articles and news
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief exoplanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.
The UK's campaign to reduce noise pollution: Mythbusting, articles and topic guides.




















