Relying on home insurance or your builder’s public liability policy when carrying out renovation work is most definitely NOT a good idea.

 

Most home insurance policies exclude cover for renovation work and the builder’s public liability insurance will require negligence to be proven, which can be extremely time consuming and expensive.

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Get the Right Cover in Place

The renovation insurance policy covers the property whilst being renovated, even if you aren’t initially living in it. In addition, it covers all the new works and materials, right up to completion of the project (additional contents cover may be needed though).

 

More than likely you will have plant, tools and equipment on site and these will need to be covered.

Self-Build Zone's home renovation insurance provides employers’ and public liability

insurance as standard as we know that other people, including family and friends, could

be working on site and they may get injured or someone may cause damage to a third party or their property. It is important that they are adequately protected and that also includes the cost of defending and/or pursuing a claim.

 

If you have a party wall agreement in place, with one or more neighbours, you will probably be responsible for rectifying any damage caused to their property (however serious) so you should seek professional party wall advice in this respect and make sure you have adequate cover in place.  We can also provide JCT 6.5.1 Insurance. For more information on other insurance packages we offer, visit our site insurance page.

 

Renovation Site Insurance

Renovation Site Insurance is available in a range of different policy durations which can be extended as required. Using Site Insurance for a renovation project will provide cover in all the places home insurance does not, including providing cover when the property is unoccupied during and prior to the renovation works. Most people do not realise that standard home insurance will not cover you adequately and carries many exclusions which can make it a waste of money. Relying on your builders' public liability is a very risky approach and will not cover you unless you can demonstrate that they were negligent. Site Insurance is the most practical and efficient way of covering your renovation project.

 

Legal Expenses Insurance Cover

Renovation projects can be complex affairs due to the diversity of trades working on site and the associated variety of risks and exposures that come with that. We have many years knowledge of what goes wrong, what the major issues have been and what causes clients the most stress. Not using properly written contracts probably causes more problems and upset than anything else. Without a contract, you cannot prove the terms of engagement with professionals, contractors or suppliers.

 

We have known people lose large amounts of money because they failed to use properly written contracts. When it comes to trying to make claims without this, it is very difficult as the ‘burden of proof’ is on you. With a contract, there is little escape. That is why with our contract package, we give you unlimited use of the contract wordings.

 

We back this up with the addition of legal expense cover, which is provided as standard with all of our Site Insurance policies (excluding developers insurance).

 

If a dispute arises, the legal team will provide you with essential legal advice to enable you to pursue a contractual dispute claim where there is a good prospect of success (terms and conditions apply).

 

By correctly using our contract templates you will have the necessary proof of the basis of the contract and hopefully enable a swift conclusion to any dispute.

 

Perhaps Your Contractor Is Insured?

Relying on your contractor's or tradesman's' insurance may not always be the correct course of action. Many contractors only have public liability cover which is not sufficient as no-one is taking full responsibility for the works in progress. Public liability insurance only covers negligent acts and it is sometimes a very lengthy and costly process to prove this.

 

A nearly completed build that is seriously damaged by fire, flood or storm could result in a serious loss which could be life-changing and really does not bear thinking about, so minimise your exposure to risk by protecting yourself with the appropriate Site Insurance cover.