Brisbane Flood Zone: How to Check a Property’s Flood Risk Before You Buy
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
To find out whether a home is in a Brisbane flood zone, search the address on Brisbane City Council’s Flood Awareness Map, then download the Technical FloodWise Property Report from the same page. The report shows which types of flooding could reach the property, estimated flood levels for floods of different sizes, historic flood levels and the minimum habitable floor level.[1]
In the City of Moreton Bay, the equivalent is the council’s flood check property report.[2] Do these checks before you sign: Queensland sellers don’t have to tell you about a property’s flooding history,[3] and in most cases the home becomes your responsibility to insure from 5pm on the next business day after the contract date.[4]
Key takeaways
- In Brisbane, check the Flood Awareness Map and the FloodWise Property Report; in Moreton Bay, the flood check property report.[1][2]
- A 1% (medium) likelihood means a 1 in 100 chance of that flood in any year; a 5% (high) likelihood means 1 in 20.[5]
- Sellers don’t have to disclose a property’s flooding history, so the checking is up to you.[3]
- Get an insurance quote with flood cover before you sign: you are usually responsible for the home from 5pm on the next business day after the contract date.[4]
- After the 2011 flood, prices in middle and high-value flood-affected suburbs rebounded within 12 months, but the median in low-value flood-affected suburbs fell 22.7% in three months.[6]
What “flood zone” means in Brisbane
Brisbane sits on a floodplain, and the council warns that residents and owners may experience flooding in their lifetime. Flooding here comes from four sources: rivers, creeks, overland flow after heavy rain and storm tide, alone or in combination.[7]
There is no single flood zone line. The council has two mapping products: the Flood Awareness Map for general information, and the City Plan flood overlay map for building and development.[8] The Flood Awareness Map describes the chance of each kind of flooding with these terms:[5]
| Map term | Chance in any year | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| High likelihood | 5% (1 in 20)[5] | River, creek and storm tide flooding |
| Medium likelihood | 1% (1 in 100) | River, creek and storm tide flooding |
| Low likelihood | 0.2% (1 in 500) | River, creek and storm tide flooding |
| Very low likelihood | 0.05% (1 in 2,000) | River, creek and storm tide flooding |
| High-impact overland flow | 5% (1 in 20) | Overland flow |
| Medium-impact overland flow | 2% (1 in 50) | Overland flow |
| Low-impact overland flow | 1% (1 in 100) | Overland flow |
The odds apply every year, so across 30 years of owning a home, the chance of at least one 1% flood is about 26% (1 − 0.99³⁰).[5] The map shows how likely flooding is, but not how deep or fast the water would be,[5] so for levels you need the property report.
How to check a Brisbane property, step by step
- Open the council’s Flood Awareness Map and search the address, lot plan or suburb.[1]
- Read the Flooding Overview panel, which summarises the types of flooding and how likely each is to affect the property.[1]
- Select “Technical FloodWise Property Report” to download the report, which takes about 20 seconds.[1]
- Read the flood summary graph and the historic flood levels, then the technical pages: ground levels, flood levels for different likelihoods, the minimum habitable floor level, and the flood planning areas and overlays.[1]
- Compare the flood levels with the property’s ground and floor levels, to see whether a flood could reach the floor of the house.[9]
Know the report’s limits. Overland flow information sits in its planning and development section rather than in the graph or map, some flood levels can be missing when a source isn’t available, and the council says the report is based only on the information it has adopted and may not be complete.[1] To see what happened in past floods, the council publishes historical flood mapping for 1974, 2011 and 2022.[7]
Treat “it didn’t flood in 2011” with care. When owners ask the council to change a property’s flood levels, it doesn’t accept observations such as a property not flooding in 1974, 2011 and 2022; it needs certified survey levels or an engineer’s flood study.[8]
In the City of Moreton Bay, request the council’s flood check property report. It covers river, creek and urban drainage flooding, storm tide and tidal inundation, and overland flow, and it compares the property’s flood levels with its ground and floor levels to show how much flood immunity it has.[2]
On a newly developed lot, read the red notes. A note saying the report “may not incorporate all recent ground-level changes” means the council expects filling has improved the lot’s flood immunity but hasn’t yet received the new ground levels, and an outdated report shows the flood risk from before the development.[2] The flood hazard overlay in the planning scheme is a different product: it can’t be readily updated, so it may not reflect current conditions.[9]
Our Moreton Bay suburb reports, such as Deception Bay, and our guide to the Moreton Bay property market give you the suburb picture. The flood check is still done address by address.
Queensland’s seller disclosure statement doesn’t have to cover the property’s flooding history.[3] So ask the agent directly, check the council information yourself and, if the home has flooded before, find out what was repaired and ask your building inspector to look for signs of water damage.
Do the checks before you sign if you can. The Queensland Government suggests arranging inspections before you start negotiating,[10] and any condition you need must be written into the contract or it won’t be binding.[11] Our guides to building and pest inspections in QLD and making an offer on a house in QLD explain how to build that time into an offer, and conveyancing in QLD explains what your solicitor does.
In most cases you become responsible for the property from 5pm on the next business day after the contract date, before settlement, and if you have a mortgage your lender can insist on home insurance.[4] So get a quote on the actual address before you sign.
Don’t expect an insurer to simply read the council map. Each insurer makes its own assessment of a property’s flood risk, weighing how often it may flood, how big a flood could be and what repairs would cost, along with the building type.[9] Brisbane City Council has no control over premiums, but you can give your insurer the council’s flood information.[8] In Moreton Bay, the council says its flood check property report can make a quote more accurate, especially for a raised lot in a new development or a house on piers, and suggests shopping around if an insurer won’t consider it.[9]
Check what “flood” means in the policy. The standard definition covers water that escapes from a lake, river, creek or other natural watercourse, or from a reservoir, canal or dam. If storm tide could reach the home, read the product disclosure statement to see whether it covers “actions of the sea”.[9]
After the 2011 Brisbane flood, the effect on prices depended on the suburb. A QUT study found the stigma was short-lived for middle and high-value homes, with prices rebounding within 12 months, while the median house price in low-value flood-affected suburbs dropped 22.7% in the three months after the flood, as more flood-damaged homes were sold.[6] The study’s author linked the difference partly to owners in higher-value suburbs having the means to repair straight away.[6]
For a buyer, that means the repairs and the floor level matter as much as the map. A flood-affected home can be priced to reflect its risk, which only suits you if the insurance, repair and resale numbers still work. Compare recent sales of similar homes nearby; our Brisbane suburb reports are a starting point for the suburb picture.
- Did the property or the street flood in 1974, 2011 or 2022? Check the council’s historical flood mapping as well as asking the agent.[7]
- How does the floor level compare with the flood levels in the report?[9]
- Is the home exposed to overland flow or storm tide, not just river or creek flooding?[1][2]
- If it has flooded, what was repaired, and what does your building inspector find?
- What does insurance with flood cover cost, and does it cover actions of the sea?[9]
- For a unit, what does the body corporate insure? It usually insures common property, while you insure your own property and contents.[4]
- On a new or recently filled lot, does the council report show the new ground levels yet?[2]
Checking for flood zones is one of the steps in our guide to minimising risk when buying an investment property in Greater Brisbane. IPS Buyer’s Agents works only for buyers. We attend inspections, negotiate, and work with your broker, building and pest inspector and solicitor through to settlement. See our buyer’s agent services, or our local Moreton Bay buyer’s agent page if you are buying north of Brisbane.
- Map. Search the address on the council flood map and note the likelihood of each type of flooding.[5]
- Report. Download the FloodWise Property Report in Brisbane or the flood check property report in Moreton Bay.[1][2]
- Levels. Compare the flood levels with the ground and floor levels.[9]
- History. Check past flood mapping and ask what was repaired; the seller doesn’t have to tell you.[7][3]
- Insurance. Get a quote with flood cover before you sign.[4]
This article is general information only, current at November 2026. It is not legal, financial, insurance or engineering advice and does not consider your circumstances. Check the flood information, insurance and contract for your purchase with your insurer, solicitor or conveyancer before you act.
If you are weighing up a home in a flood-affected area, book a time with Tim Allen to talk it through.
- Brisbane City Council — FloodWise Property Report (read 7 November 2026)
- City of Moreton Bay — Flood check property report (read 7 November 2026)
- Queensland Government — Seller disclosure scheme (last updated 21 July 2025)
- Queensland Government (Office of Fair Trading) — Home and contents insurance (last updated 28 October 2020)
- Brisbane City Council — Understanding flood likelihood and impact (read 7 November 2026)
- Queensland University of Technology — Flood fear has temporary effect on property prices: QUT study (2 July 2014)
- Brisbane City Council — Understanding flooding in Brisbane (read 7 November 2026)
- Brisbane City Council — Technical review process, updating new levels and flood insurance (read 7 November 2026)
- City of Moreton Bay — Using Council information to inform flood insurance quotes (read 7 November 2026)
- Queensland Government (Office of Fair Trading) — Inspections (last updated 22 August 2024)
- Queensland Government (Office of Fair Trading) — Contract of sale for buying a home (last updated 23 July 2025)
Where can I find the Brisbane flood map?
Brisbane City Council’s Flood Awareness Map is online. Search an address, lot plan or suburb and the Flooding Overview panel shows which types of flooding could affect the property and how likely each is. From there you can download the Technical FloodWise Property Report, with estimated and historic flood levels and the minimum habitable floor level. It covers properties in the Brisbane City Council area only.
Does a seller have to tell you if a house has flooded in Queensland?
No. The seller disclosure statement that Queensland sellers must give buyers doesn’t have to include the property’s flooding history. Ask the agent directly, check the council flood information, including Brisbane’s historical flood mapping for 1974, 2011 and 2022, and have your building inspector look for signs of past water damage, ideally before you sign.
What does a 1% flood likelihood mean?
It means a 1 in 100 chance of a flood of that size happening in any given year. Brisbane City Council calls this medium likelihood. The chance applies every year, so a 1% flood can happen in consecutive years, and across 30 years of ownership the chance of at least one is about 26%.
Do I need flood insurance when buying a house in Queensland?
Insurance is your decision, but in most cases you become responsible for the property from 5pm on the next business day after the contract date, before settlement, and a lender can insist on home insurance. Check that the policy includes flood cover, and storm tide cover if that applies, and get a quote on the address before you sign.
Is the council flood map the same as an insurance flood risk map?
No. Each insurer makes its own assessment of a property’s flood risk and sets premiums its own way. Council information can still help: the City of Moreton Bay says its flood check property report can make a quote more accurate, and Brisbane City Council suggests giving your insurer its flood information.
Can a council flood report be out of date?
Yes. Brisbane City Council says its report is based only on information it has adopted and may not be complete, and it reviews flood levels when owners provide certified survey levels or an engineer’s flood study. In Moreton Bay, red notes on a recently developed lot’s report show whether new ground levels have been included yet.