The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.
What Does Buildings Insurance Cover?
Cheap Home Insurance in Your Area from QuoteZone
Quickly compare over 3 dozen UK insurance providers. Only one form to fill out.
Home insurance is divided into two type of cover—buildings and contents. Buildings insurance covers the house itself against damage—the roof, walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows and any fitted cupboards (e.g., kitchen and bathroom).
Contents insurance, on the other hand, basically covers anything you'd take with you when you move, such as your clothes & shoes, electronics, jewellery, art, gadgets, books, furniture and rugs.
Buildings and contents policies can be purchased separately or as a combined buildings & contents policy—if you need both coverages because you're a homeowner, it's usually cheaper to buy them together than separately. Here we'll explain what is typically covered under the buildings part of home insurance, and what isn't.
What does Building Insurance Cover?
Buildings insurance typically reimburses for damage or loss to your home due to:
- Fire
- Water damage
- Storms
- Possibly accidental damage, subsidence, frost damage, etc.
The majority of insurers cover specific risks only (e.g., fire), but some insurers offer a more comprehensive package by covering "all risks"—that is, they don't specify coverage for only certain risks but instead cover anything that isn't specifically excluded in your policy documents.
Buildings cover will extend to the "permanent" or fixed parts of your home, like the roof, walls, windows & doors, floors, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, outbuildings, etc.
Sometimes, tracing and repairing a leak will be covered but subject to a maximum payout amount.
Optional Additional Cover
In addition to standard cover, many insurers offer additional features—for an added cost, of course. Additional cover may include:
- Accidental damage: Covers damage due to accidents, such as a ball being thrown through a window
- Alternative Accommodation: Money to use for rent of an alternative property while your home is rebuilt/repaired due to a valid claim
- Public Liability: Cover if someone is injured on your property
What's Not Covered by Buildings Insurance?
Buildings insurance does not cover loss of or damage to the contents of your home (e.g., clothes & shoes, books, electronics, luggage, art, jewellery & watches, etc). In order to protect yourself against the loss of these belongings, you'll need to take out a separate contents insurance policy or a combined buildings & contents policy.
Additionally, buildings insurance won't cover the gradual decline or deterioration of your property. While every policy is different we've listed common exclusions (i.e., things that a typical buildings policy will not cover) below. Be sure to read your policy wording so that you understand the extent of your coverage, as the actual list of exclusions may be significantly longer than the items listed here.
Buildings Insurance Typically Doesn't Cover:
- Contents (belongings)
- Wear and tear/ageing/neglect
- Rust
- Rot
- Fungus/mould
- Infestations
- Normal settlement
- Other things that happen gradually
- Storm or flood damage to gazebos, fences, hedges, etc.
- Mechanical or electrical faults
- Claims due to war, contamination, nuclear exposure, government action, deliberate acts (e.g., by you), etc.
Do I Need Buildings Insurance?
Generally speaking, homeowners should buy buildings insurance but tenants do not need buildings insurance.
Homeowner
If you own your house outright, you aren't required to buy buildings insurance—but if you have a mortgage then the lender will require that the asset (your home) is protected through a buildings insurance policy. That said, we strongly recommend that homeowners take out buildings insurance on their property, even if there is no mortgage on the property. In you're not convinced, know that the average cost to rebuild a house in the UK is £197,000.
Depending on the property and area, home rebuild costs in the case of a disaster like a fire can easily run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds—an amount most people couldn't afford without being reimbursed by buildings insurance. And even if you could afford the rebuild cost, why risk cutting into your hard-earned savings when instead your home could be covered by a buildings insurance policy?
Tenant
If you are a tenant, you don't need to buy buildings insurance. Your landlord (that is, the owner of the property) will be responsible for buying buildings insurance, if they choose to do so. Those in rented properties should strongly consider buying contents insurance, however, because your landlord is not responsible to reimburse you for the loss of or damage to your belongings in the case of fire, theft or water damage. Your things are your responsibility to insure.
With the average annual premium for contents insurance for a £50,000 policy with a £200 excess hovering just over £100, getting financial protection against the loss of your possessions may well be worth the cost.
If you're looking to buy home insurance but not sure which insurance company to use, start by reading through our research on the top picks for best home insurance companies.
FAQs
Buildings insurance might cover roof repairs if the cause of the damage is specifically covered under your policy. For example, if your new roof is damaged by a tree falling due to high winds and your policy includes storm damage, you may be covered. However if your older roof is in need of repairs due to wear and tear, these will not be covered.
Buildings insurance should cover damage (e.g., to floors or carpets) caused by water leaking from an overflowing bath, burst pipes or heating systems. And if you have "trace and access" coverage it will help to cover the cost of repairing intentional damage to a part of your building that was necessary to find and repair a leak. But to get help with fixing the leak you might need separate home emergency cover. This is included with some buildings insurance policies, but not all.
Most buildings insurance plans will cover subsidence, but if your home has had a previous issue with subsidence or been underpinned you're likely to pay a higher cost of home insurance. Also, an insurer might not cover damage if it was caused by an uninsured event such as settlement. (See this information from the Financial Ombudsman for more information.)
Buildings insurance covers the bricks and mortar, and if you own a flat you might or might not need buildings insurance. If you have a leasehold on your flat, then the buildings insurance should be organised by the freeholder for the whole building. If you and the other leaseholders jointly own the freehold, then you are all responsible for ensuring the whole apartment building is insured.
No, tenants don't need buildings insurance—that's the property owner's responsibility. However, tenants should take out contents insurance to protect their belongings in the event of fire, theft, or even accidental damage. Contents insurance can cost in the range of £50 to £100 a year.
The amount of buildings insurance you should get depends in large part on the rebuild cost of your home. The average home rebuild cost in the UK is £197,000, but varies by region.
Buildings insurance usually does not cover boilers. You may get some protection to help cover the cost to repair a boiler breakdown from "home emergency" cover, which can often be added onto your buildings insurance for an added fee.
Cheap Home Insurance in Your Area
Quickly compare over 3 dozen UK insurance providers. Only one form to fill out.