FloodRiskReport.ie

Flood Risk Assessment for Planning

Proper methodology as per OPW guidelines. Hundreds of reports completed across Ireland. Fast turnaround for Further Information requests.

Get a Quote or call 087 417 3832 or If we can’t answer, please leave a message or send a WhatsApp — we’ll get back to you.
River in flood flowing under an arched stone bridge beside an Irish town, with flooded fields on the far bank
FloodRiskReport.ie
Hundreds of FRAs Completed
8+ Years Experience
7–10 Days Typical Turnaround

Counties We Cover

We complete flood risk assessments for planning applications nationwide. See our dedicated pages for local information:

Carlow Cavan Clare Cork Donegal Dublin Galway Kerry Kildare Kilkenny Laois Leitrim Limerick Longford Louth Mayo Meath Monaghan Offaly Roscommon Sligo Tipperary Waterford Westmeath Wexford Wicklow

Council Asked for an FRA?

Whether you're facing a Further Information request, preparing a planning application for a site near a watercourse, or developing land in or adjacent to a flood zone - you need an assessment that actually demonstrates compliance.

The problem: Many FRAs are desktop letters that observe OPW mapping and draw conclusions - without citing flood levels, comparing finished floor levels, assessing access and egress, or hydrological connectivity. These reports often fail at FI stage or create problems later down the line.

We apply proper methodology to every site in Flood Zone A or B. That means actual flood levels from published or modelled data, comparison against your proposed development, and demonstration that planning requirements are met.

Facing an FI deadline? We regularly turn around Further Information responses within tight timeframes. Call us directly.

Asked for a SuDS statement, Surface Water Management Plan or Drainage Impact Assessment? See our SuDS & Drainage Impact Assessments page.

What's Included

For any site in Flood Zone A or B, we apply Stage 2 methodology as a minimum standard:

Design Flood Levels

1% AEP & 0.1% AEP (fluvial) or 0.5% AEP (coastal) levels from CFRAM, NIFM, or NCFHM data - not just a map screenshot. We generate our own inundation maps with higher resolution.

Design Level Comparison

Your finished floor levels compared against design flood levels plus freeboard, with clear conclusions.

Access & Egress

Assessment of safe entry and exit during a flood event - the route, not just the building.

Climate Change

Allowances for climate change as standard - in line with current OPW guidance.

All Sources

Fluvial (river), Coastal, Pluvial (rainfall), and Groundwater risk assessed as relevant to your site. This includes flow path analysis and flow routing to determine hydrological connection.

Clear Output

Recommendations where mitigation is needed. Justification Test addressed where it applies.

Surveyor in waders standing in a shallow, fast-flowing river, measuring water depth with a graduated survey staff Survey staff standing in a river channel beneath a masonry arch bridge, used to measure the bridge opening and water depth Survey staff held against a wooded river bank beside a shallow, stony stream to measure bank height Close-up of a survey staff showing centimetre graduations from 235 to 245
Site survey: measuring water depth, bed width, bridge opening and bank height

Site Survey & Channel Measurement

Published flood maps do not cover every watercourse. Where a site sits beside a small stream or drain with no OPW modelled data, or where the council asks for more detail, we measure the channel on site: water depth, bed levels, bank heights and the size of culverts and bridges.

These measurements build the cross-sections used in our hydraulic model, so design flood levels for your site are based on the actual channel rather than on assumptions.

Stage 1, 2 & 3 Explained

Stage 1 - Screening

For sites clearly outside flood zones. Confirms low risk; brief report. Not sufficient for Flood Zone A/B.

Stage 2 - Initial Assessment

Detailed appraisal using OPW data, CFRAM/NIFM levels, and historical records. Our minimum standard for Flood Zone A/B. The Stage 2 report demonstrates flood risk to the development, occupants, access/egress, and elsewhere through a data-driven approach. This is what "commensurate assessment" means for minor development under Section 5.28 / Circular PL 2/2014.

Stage 3 - Detailed Assessment

Hydraulic modelling for sites lacking quantitative data or where specifically requested by the council. We have in-house 1D/2D modelling capability (HEC-RAS).

HEC-RAS RAS Mapper view of a coupled 1D/2D model from one of our assessments: a meandering river channel with 1D cross-sections and a bridge, lateral structures along both banks linking it to a 2D flow area mesh, and the modelled maximum flood depth shaded in blue over the terrain model coloured by ground level
From one of our recent Stage 3 assessments: a coupled 1D/2D HEC-RAS model, with the river channel modelled in 1D and the floodplain as a 2D flow mesh, over the terrain model, showing the maximum flood depth for the 1% AEP event 1D cross-sections Lateral structures (1D–2D link) 2D flow area mesh Bridge Flood depth (0–1.5 m)

Guidance we work to

Every assessment follows the national flood risk framework, together with the development plan and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) of your planning authority. See the county pages for the local documents.

Schematic section from one of our Flood Risk Assessments: the proposed finished floor level of a livestock shed (36.80 m OD) set 0.63 m above the 1% AEP plus 30% climate change pluvial flood level (36.17 m OD), with a table of design flood levels, ground levels and freeboard
Example from one of our reports: proposed finished floor level compared against design flood levels, showing the freeboard above the 1% AEP + climate change level (click to enlarge)

Expertise You Can Rely On

Robert Morrison

Technical Director / Flood Assessment Lead, Ash Ecology & Environmental Ltd

MSc/PgCert (L9) Water Engineering & Hydrology · Member of CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management)

Hydraulic modelling (1D, coupled 1D/2D and 2D in industry-standard software – HEC-RAS, LISFLOOD-FP etc.), GIS analysis and CFRAM/NIFM/NCFHM data extraction for Flood Risk Assessments and Drainage Impact Assessments across Ireland.

Experience from single dwellings to larger commercial projects.

Flood Risk Assessments | Drainage Impact Assessments | SuDS Statements

Technical Capability

  • Hydraulic modelling for River & Rainfall sources (Fluvial & Pluvial)
  • Joint probability analyses (e.g. tidal surge at estuaries)
  • GIS analysis and mapping
  • CFRAM, NIFM, ICPSS, NCFHM flood data extraction
  • River flood level analysis
  • Surface water ponding analysis
  • Coastal flood level analysis
  • Groundwater flood analysis
  • Sustainable drainage (SuDS) and Drainage Impact Assessments, including Green / Blue Solutions

What Our Clients Say

Rob provided an excellent service from start to finish. He was professional, knowledgeable and very easy to deal with. The Flood Risk Assessment was completed efficiently and provided everything we needed to support our planning application.

FloodRiskReport.ie client

Excellent service from Rob. He was quick to respond to queries, understood our timescales and turned around the Flood Risk Assessment quickly. Communication was excellent throughout.

FloodRiskReport.ie client

We have worked with Rob (FloodRiskReport) on flood risk assessments for several of our planning applications and have found his service excellent. The reports were clearly presented and comprehensive.

Client on several planning applications
Ash Ecology & Environmental logo

Need Ecology Reports Too?

We offer both FRA and ecological assessment under one roof. If you also need Appropriate Assessment Screening, a Bat Survey, a Natura Impact Statement, or other ecological surveys - one point of contact, coordinated delivery.

Learn more at ashecology.ie →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an FRA for my planning application?
If your site is in or adjacent to Flood Zone A or B, or if you've received an FI request mentioning flood risk, yes. Many councils now request FRAs for any site near a watercourse.
How long does it take?
Typically 7–10 working days, often faster for straightforward sites. We can often accommodate tighter deadlines for FI responses - call to discuss.
Can I get permission in Flood Zone A?
Possibly - depends on development type and whether the Justification Test can be satisfied. We'll advise on likelihood when quoting.
What do you need to quote?
Site address or Eircode, brief description of development. Helpful: site drawings, planning reference if responding to FI.
Do you cover coastal sites?
Yes - we have access to coastal datasets and experience with coastal flood level analysis and appropriate climate change allowances.
I was asked for a Drainage Impact Assessment, can you do this?
Yes - we have completed many of these dedicated drainage assessments, focusing on reducing site runoff and storage of rainfall. See our SuDS & Drainage Impact Assessments page for what councils ask for and what we provide.

Get a Quote

Send your site details - we'll respond with a fixed-price quote, typically within 24 hours.

Prefer to talk?

087 417 3832

If we can’t answer, please leave a message or send a WhatsApp — we’ll get back to you.