Home renovation insurance

What is renovation insurance?

Renovation insurance covers you for the things that might go wrong while building works are being carried out at your property. For example, if you’re having an extension, or you’re undertaking a home refurbishment. This is whilst the property is unoccupied for longer than the time stated on your standard home insurance policy (usually 30-60 days). 

While most contractors will have insurance for the works carried out on your home, this may not protect you in all circumstances. Therefore it’s likely that you will still need buildings insurance in place to protect your property both whilst it’s unoccupied, and against risks such as fire, theft, flood and subsidence.

House renovation insurance is also known as building work insurance, building renovation insurance and house refurbishment insurance to name a few terms.

Do I need home renovation insurance?

If you’d like to remain covered by insurance during your renovation, and your property will be unoccupied for longer than the time stated on your standard home insurance policy (usually 30-60 days), then yes, you’ll probably need house renovation insurance. This is because your property is identified as higher risk when it’s unoccupied.

You may also require additional cover if works are extensive, or if expensive equipment and materials will be kept at the property during building works.

If you fail to tell your insurer, then you could invalidate your policy and may not be able to make a claim should you need to (for example, if there’s a fire or burglary in your time away from the property).

What else does renovation home insurance cover?

As well as providing cover full cover for your buildings and property owners’ liability cover, we can also provide cover for:

• Properties already undergoing renovation
• We can provide full cover, even if the property is unoccupied during the renovations
• Property renovation projects, whether completed by you or a hired contractor
• No extra costs for works of £100,000 or under

My contractor already has liability cover – do I still need to take out renovation insurance?

Yes. You’ll still need to organise property renovation insurance. Your contractor will only cover the liability for the works themselves, for example, if a passer-by were to get injured as a result of the construction. Therefore, it does not provide any cover for the physical building.

Renovation insurance is there to protect your property against risks such as fire, flood, theft, malicious damage, and anything else that won’t be covered under your contractors’ liability insurance.

Does homeowners’ insurance cover renovation?

Most standard home insurance policies will provide cover for unoccupied properties between 30 and 60 days (check your policy details to find out the exact period of time). If your home will be unoccupied for longer than this amount of time because it’s undergoing renovation, then you’ll probably need unoccupied renovation insurance.

As a first step, you should speak to your current insurer to see if they can provide house insurance during your renovation. For some insurers, this may simply be a case of updating your account so you have a home renovation insurance policy in place. However, some insurers may not cover unoccupied properties during renovation, so you may need to source your own cover for this period.

If you’re looking for home insurance while renovating, call us on 0333 234 1507 for a quote, or arrange a call with one of our team today.

Is extension insurance the same as renovation insurance?

Essentially, yes, both extension insurance and renovation insurance provide cover for your property whilst it’s unoccupied due to building work taking place.

Renovation insurance for homeowners is really important to consider if you’ll be leaving your property unoccupied for longer than the time stated on your standard home insurance policy. Homeowners should always be careful to make sure they have insurance during construction. 

Will this policy protect me during renovations?

Yes, our renovation home insurance will provide cover for your unoccupied property while renovation works are being carried out – however, please note this will only provide cover for the property itself rather than insuring the renovation works.

Your contractor (if you have one) will usually arrange their own liability cover that will insure the risk of renovating the property. If you’re carrying out the renovation works yourself, it will be your responsibility to arrange this cover. Either way, if you want your property to remain covered whilst unoccupied and going through a renovation, you’ll probably want to consider house renovation insurance.

How do I get a quote for renovation insurance?

Contact our specialist team today (or arrange for us to call you) with the details of your property and we’ll find you our most competitive price. More often than not, we can get you a quote right there and then.

Then all you need to do is let us know when you want to go ahead and we’ll get you set up.

What information do you need for a renovation insurance quote?

Before getting a quote for renovation home insurance, it’s useful to have the following information to hand:

• What type of renovation work you are undertaking?
• Do you have a JCT Standard Building Contract in place?
• Are you hiring contractors or carrying out the work yourself? Don’t worry, we can provide cover for both.
• How much will the renovation cost?
• How long will the renovation take?
• What will the property be used for once the works are complete? For example, will it become your main home or will you sell it?

What rebuild cost do I need to give you for a property undergoing renovation?

When you speak to us regarding insurance for a house being renovated, you’ll need to provide the current rebuild value before the works begin. We will then keep a note on your policy of the estimated costs of the project.

If you are unsure what your current rebuild is, there are a number of online resources that can help you - such as the ABI rebuild calculator.

Once the renovation works have been completed, you will then need to increase the rebuild value stated on your policy to reflect the increase in value, post-renovation.

How do I calculate the rebuild value?

The renovation project has already started – can you cover me?

Yes we can. We are able to provide renovation insurance cover for works that have already begun.

Will you cover me while I get a basement added to my house?

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide building work insurance for renovation projects that include a basement being added to the structure of the property.

Can I insure barns while they’re undergoing renovation?

If the barn is undergoing its first conversion, then we will be unable to provide cover while it’s being renovated.

However, if the barn has already been converted and registered as a residential property and you are now undertaking further renovation work, we will be able to provide building renovation insurance for this.

Find out more about barn conversion insurance.

Our house renovation insurance policies provide cover for a minimum of 12 months, and your policy will be tailored to the renovation works as you described them to us during quote stage.

What happens if my renovation project goes on longer than expected?

Our house renovation insurance policies provide cover for a minimum of 12 months, and your policy will be tailored to the renovation works as you described them to us during quote stage.

If the project will take longer, changes or completes sooner than expected, you will just need to contact us so we can update your home renovation policy.

My listed property is going to be renovated – can you cover me?

Yes, we are able to provide home insurance during renovation for unoccupied listed buildings. 

At Endsleigh we are able to provide comprehensive buildings and property owners’ liability cover for listed buildings, including grade I, II and II* properties that are over 100 years old.

Find out more about listed property insurance.

Should I move out of my house when renovating?

Whether or not you choose to move out when your home is undergoing building renovation is totally up to you. A house renovation could include anything from knocking a few walls through, to creating an open-plan living space, to planning an extension or conservatory. 

Living in a house while renovating can be stressful. Whether you’re conducting the work yourself or hiring professionals, it’s likely to be loud, dusty and even cold. If you’d like to avoid the messy parts of renovating a house and you have the option to, you may like to opt to live elsewhere whilst the work is being complete – this could be staying at a generous friend’s house, or even staying at a local hotel.

If you do choose to stay away, make sure to check the amount of time your home insurance allows your property to stay unoccupied. If your time away from home is due to exceed the time on your policy, you’ll likely need to take a moment to source the best home renovation insurance. This is to make sure your home is covered whilst it’s unoccupied. 

If you’re looking for house insurance that covers your property during building work, call us on 0333 234 1507 for a quote, or arrange a call with one of our team today. 

What insurance do I need when renovating a house?

If you’re conducting work on your property, for example, an extension or conservatory, you’ll probably want to make sure you have house insurance while renovating. But what kind of house insurance do you need?

If you’re a homeowner, it’s likely that you already have building and contents insurance which is a great start. When you’re carrying out work to your property and your property is unoccupied due to this work, you’ll need to update your insurer to let them know. They should then be able to update your account so you have a home renovation insurance policy whilst the property is empty and work is being undertaken.

When the work is complete, you should let your insurer know and then your home renovation insurance can be switched back to standard home insurance.

If your standard home insurance provider can’t provide a house renovation policy, you’ll need to search for home renovation insurance in the UK that will cover your property during renovation whilst it’s unoccupied.

At Endsleigh, we’re proud to provide insurance for unoccupied properties being renovated – whether you’re an existing customer or not.

To get a quote for home insurance whilst you’re renovating, either call us on 0333 234 1507, or arrange a call with one of our team today.

Does my current home insurance cover my renovation?

Some home insurance providers will provide cover for your property while it’s undergoing renovations, but this is usually reviewed on a case by case basis, and some insurers won’t be able to provide cover at all. 

If you’re planning on renovating your property, you should notify your current home insurance provider as soon as possible to discuss your options. 

My home insurance will cover my property during building work, will this cover be enough?

Even if your current insurer does agree to provide cover under your existing home insurance policy, it may only be for a short period of time, and cover could even be restricted.

Taking out specialist building renovation insurance will ensure that your property is protected against major risks such as fire, theft, flood and malicious damage.

What happens with my renovation home insurance once the renovation is complete?

Once your renovation works are completed and have been signed off under building regulations, then you can switch from your building renovation insurance back to your home insurance as normal – but remember that you will need to update your rebuild value to reflect the renovated property (for example, if the number of bedrooms has increased).