Building conversion insurance

It is a common exclusion on most Home Insurance policies.

If you are altering the structure of your home or carrying out renovations that exceed £25,000, the policy will not cover you. You will need an alternative Site Insurance policy.

Site Insurance, also called Self-Build Insurance, is the insurance you need from the moment you start work until completion. Our policies cover new works, existing structures, employers’ liability, public liability, fire, theft, storm damage etc.

You become responsible for insuring your plot of land as soon as the exchange of contracts has taken place. Site Insurance should be taken out at this point in time to at least cover your liabilities until the construction works begin, at which point the main body of the policy will automatically come into force.

If works are not going to start within 90 days, it would be advisable to take out Land Owners’ Liability cover to cover your Public Liability exposure until works are due to start, at which point Site Insurance should be arranged.

If you have an existing structure and are not going to start within 90 days you would need to arrange Unoccupied Buildings Insurance until the works are due to start, at which time Site Insurance needs to be arranged.

Most builders will have some form of insurance, but this is often not comprehensive enough to cover your whole site. Many builders’ insurance policies have limits which won’t cover the whole cost of your build or your site if they are not on it.

You will also need to prove they have been negligent and pursue them in court at your own expense for a successful claim.

No, Site Insurance covers your project while it is being built. A Structural Warranty covers all new structural works for 10 years from completion.

Site Insurance is necessary to protect your investment when you’re carrying out a renovation, conversion, extension or new build. Our self-build Site Insurance policy covers the new work, existing structure and rest of the site.

It protects against the likes of losses, fire theft, flood, storm damage, vandalism and accidental damage. See the specific project pages for in-depth information on Self-Build Zone’s Site Insurance.

It is not a legal requirement to have Site Insurance, but you must by law have Employers’ Liability cover, as you will be employing contractors to work on your site. This is included within our policy at the value of £10m as standard.

It is always advisable to think about the worst thing that could happen during the build and think about the financial implications that would have. For example, without insurance, if your new house burnt down a week before you move in, who is going to pay to rebuild it?

If you think you might need to make a claim, please phone our advisors on 0345 230 9874.

There is a claim form to complete, and we operate a 24-hour service number for genuine emergencies for Site Insurance and Warranty. Please see your policy document for excesses.

If you are unsure whether you need to make a claim, please call and you will be advised accordingly. All calls are recorded for legal and training purposes

It’s important when hiring anyone for your self-build to look at their documentation.

If an employee or contractor claims to have their own insurance, always request a copy of their policy documents to check that their cover is sufficient to cover your project for reinstatement cost and while they are not on site.

When doing a self-build you will need:

• Public Liability to protect you while you just own the plot.
• Site Insurance when you are about to start works until completion.
• A Structural Warranty to protect your build for 10 years post completion and allow you to meet the UK lender requirements.
• Site Insurance and a Structural Warranty should be arranged up to 30 days before you start.

If you are altering the structure of your home, it is often an exclusion on your Building Insurance property.

When you are ready to start works, you need Site Insurance to cover the existing structure and the new works being carried out. On completion you can reinstate your normal home and contents insurance policy.

Site Insurance is a must for anyone building or designing their own home. Your builder’s insurance may not cover the value of your plot and is often very limited in cover.

A Site Insurance policy covers your whole site including: public liability, employers’ liability, existing structure, theft, fire, flood, storm damage, hired plant, equipment etc.

If your builder only has Public Liability insurance, you are likely going to need your own insurance.

However, if the builder has “Contract Works” insurance they may be covering everything. It is worth obtaining their policy documents to check through the levels of cover etc.

If you hire any tradesman yourself, you will be required to have Employers’ Liability.