Pennsylvania home sellers must disclose flood history under law signed by Shapiro

New requirements cover past flooding, insurance claims and FEMA flood zone designations, taking effect from 2028

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Pennsylvania homeowners selling their homes will be required to disclose far more about flood risk, including past flooding incidents and flood insurance claims, under a law signed last week by Gov. Josh Shapiro that takes effect by summer 2028.

Currently, sellers in Pennsylvania must disclose, to the best of their knowledge, whether a property sits in a flood zone or has past or present flooding problems. The new law goes further, requiring sellers to reveal the number of times and estimated dates of any past flooding incidents, whether the home sits in a high- or moderate-risk flood zone designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whether the buyer will be required to purchase flood insurance, whether the seller has received government assistance for flood damage, and whether they have filed a flood insurance claim.

The changes respond to the fact that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Flood coverage must be bought separately, and only about 2 percent of insured homes in Pennsylvania have it.

Steven Koller, insurance research and policy engagement manager at the nonprofit Insurance for Good and a research fellow at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, said the disclosure will help buyers budget. "A few inches of water on your first floor can be tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage," he said.

Mark Kibbe, who chairs the legislative committee of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, said most realtors already reveal flood risk using the association's property disclosure form, and the new law "fills in the gaps" for other real estate professionals and homeowners selling their own homes. He recalled selling a riverside home in Erie where some buyers were put off, while a couple who loved to kayak accepted the added cost.

Dakota Fisher, an advocate for climate adaptation and health at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a former FEMA employee, called disclosure responsible fiscal policy, saying informed buyers can elevate their homes or use water-resistant materials, protecting taxpayers from National Flood Insurance Program payouts.

The law does not cover renters. A bill by state Rep. Perry Warren, a Bucks County Democrat, that would require landlords to disclose flood history to tenants has not moved since it was referred to a House committee in July 2025.

The Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission must update the property disclosure statement by summer 2028. Close to three quarters of US states now have some form of flood risk disclosure law, according to a 2025 analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

Buyers will learn before purchase whether a home has flooded, how often, and whether flood insurance is mandatory, information that affects both safety and household budgets.
Flood damage is excluded from standard homeowners insurance, and only about 2 percent of insured Pennsylvania homes carry flood coverage, leaving many owners exposed to large uninsured losses.
The practical impact will emerge gradually, with the state real estate commission required to update disclosure forms by summer 2028.

Background

Flood risk disclosure laws now exist in close to three quarters of US states, according to a 2025 analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Pennsylvania previously required sellers to state, to the best of their knowledge, whether a property was in a flood zone or had past or present flooding problems. The new law adds detail on flood history, FEMA zone designations, insurance requirements and past government assistance. Flood insurance in the US is sold separately from homeowners policies, with federally backed mortgages in high-risk zones generally requiring coverage.

Key Perspectives

Steven Koller (Insurance for Good, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies): Disclosure helps prospective homeowners budget for flood insurance, but a shortage of affordable housing may push people to buy flood-prone homes even when they know the risk. Mark Kibbe (Pennsylvania Association of Realtors): Most realtors already disclose flood risk through the association's form, and the law "fills in the gaps" for other real estate professionals and for-sale-by-owner sellers. Dakota Fisher (Natural Resources Defense Council): Disclosure is responsible fiscal policy that lets buyers protect their homes and limits taxpayer exposure to National Flood Insurance Program payouts.

What to Watch

The Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission must put the new disclosure requirements into effect by summer 2028.
A landlord disclosure bill introduced by state Rep. Perry Warren remains in a House committee and has not advanced since July 2025.
Whether detailed flood risk information changes buying patterns in flood-prone areas, or whether limited affordable housing options keep demand steady.

Sources

Gov. Shapiro signs law requiring home sellers to disclose more about a home’s flood risk · WHYY

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedPennsylvania’s new law requires home sellers to disclose flood history and was signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last week.WHYY: “A new law signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last week requires that sellers disclose whether the home has flooded in the past and whether they’ve ever filed a flood insurance claim.”
SupportedThe new requirements include past flooding, flood insurance claims and FEMA flood-zone designations.WHYY: “The law signed Thursday goes further, requiring disclosure of the number of times and estimated dates of any past flooding incidents impacting a property, whether the home is in a high- or moderate-risk flood zone as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency”
SupportedThe changes are to take effect from 2028, by summer 2028.WHYY: “Sellers will need to start complying with the new disclosure requirements by the summer of 2028”
SupportedSellers must disclose the number of past flooding incidents and their estimated dates.WHYY: “requiring disclosure of the number of times and estimated dates of any past flooding incidents impacting a property”
SupportedSellers must disclose whether the home is in a high- or moderate-risk FEMA flood zone and whether the buyer will be required to buy flood insurance.WHYY: “whether the home is in a high- or moderate-risk flood zone as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whether the buyer will be required to purchase flood insurance”
Not in the sourcesThe new changes respond to the fact that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.WHYY: “Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Instead, homeowners have to purchase flood insurance separately.”
SupportedOnly about 2 percent of insured homes in Pennsylvania have flood coverage.WHYY: “Still, just 2% of insured homes in Pennsylvania have flood coverage.”
SupportedKoller said, “A few inches of water on your first floor can be tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.”WHYY: ““A few inches of water on your first floor can be tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage,” said Steven Koller, insurance research and policy engagement manager at the nonprofit Insurance for Good and a research fellow at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.”
SupportedKibbe said most Pennsylvania realtors already disclose flood risk using the association’s property disclosure form, and said the new law “fills in the gaps.”WHYY: “Most realtors in Pennsylvania already reveal flood risk information during the home selling process because they use a property disclosure statement form published by the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors”
SupportedKibbe said the new law “fills in the gaps” for other real estate professionals and homeowners selling their own homes.WHYY: “Kibbe said the new law will ensure that other types of real estate professionals and homeowners selling their homes themselves disclose the same information. “It fills in the gaps,” he said.”
SupportedFisher said informed buyers can take steps such as elevating homes or using water-resistant materials, protecting taxpayers by limiting National Flood Insurance Program payouts.WHYY: “Fisher said that if homebuyers know the risks, it allows them to take proactive steps to limit flood damage like elevating their homes or using water-resistant building materials. This protects taxpayers by limiting the need for National Flood Insurance Program payouts, Fisher said.”
SupportedA bill by state Rep. Perry Warren to require landlords to disclose flood history to tenants has not moved since referral to a House committee in July 2025.WHYY: “This bill has not moved since it was referred to a House committee in July 2025.”