Buildings Insurance
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Why Compare Buildings Insurance Quotes With SimplyQuote
Managing a property can be difficult, but finding insurance cover doesn’t have to be.
Quit spending hours searching for the right insurance and use SimplyQuote’s 100% free, online comparison tool, instead.
Simply fill in a few basic details about yourself and your property and we’ll give you an extensive range of buildings insurance quotes from top-class UK insurers. Find the best deal that aligns with your budget and needs in just a few clicks.
SimplyQuote simplifies the comparison process – every time!
What Do You Need To Get A Quote?
SimplyQuote needs the following information to give you an accurate buildings insurance quote:
- Personal details like your name, surname, occupation and contact info.
- Property details, such as the address, property size, number of occupants, what materials it’s constructed from, when it was built and rebuild cost.
- Policy details, such as how much excess you want to pay and any optional extras to include (accidental damage cover, home insurance, legal fees, etc.).
- Insurance details, such as your previous claims history.
What Do You Need Buildings Insurance?
Anyone who owns a property in the UK should consider buildings insurance. A property is a hefty investment and a property owner should do everything in their power to protect it.
Imagine extreme weather events ripping off your home’s roof, boilers completely flooding your living room or your kid breaking a window while playing football outside.
Not the ideal situation, right?
But, if you had a building insurance policy, it would save you from dipping into your pocket to cover the repair and rebuild cost.
Note: There’s no legal requirement to have this kind of insurance but it’s highly advised that you do.
Who needs this insurance?
- Homeowners with a mortgage.
- Homeowners without a mortgage.
- Landlords – although you might benefit from landlord insurance instead.
Note: You will generally need building insurance if you apply for a home mortgage. This ensures the asset’s value is protected, giving the mortgage provider peace of mind.
Who doesn’t need this insurance?
- Tenants – generally contents insurance is best for renters.
- Leasehold flat owners – you might have to pay a portion towards the buildings insurance.
What Does Buildings Insurance Cover?
Buildings insurance covers the physical brick and mortar of your property, along with permanent fixtures and fittings like bathroom ensuites, lights, and fitted carpets. It also covers damages caused by various events, from natural disasters to malicious damage.
Let’s take a closer look:
| Category | Cover |
|---|---|
| Fittings | Walls, Roofs, Floors, Lights, Ceilings, Fitted carpets, Fitted kitchens, Bathroom suites, Windows, Doors, Built-in wardrobes, Boilers (excluding breakdowns) |
| Insured Events | Fires and explosions, Floods (including leaks), Storm damage, Subsidence and heave, Natural disasters (e.g., lightning strikes, earthquakes), Burst pipes, Fallen debris, Vehicle collisions, Malicious damage (e.g., theft, burglary, vandalism) |
In addition to the above, buildings insurance covers:
- Gardens
- Patios
- Sheds and outbuildings
- Fences – depending on the insurer
- Swimming pools
If your home is damaged or destroyed, buildings insurance will foot the bill for repairs, replacements, and rebuilds – provided you have adequate cover.
What’s not covered?
- General property wear and tear – e.g. peeling paint, dampness, worn decking.
- Pre-existing property damage (i.e. damage sustained before taking out the insurance policy).
- Wet rot, dry rot and frost damage.
- Fences, gates, or hedges damaged in a storm – depending on the insurer.
- Animal/pet damage – including insect infestations.
- Satellite dishes – unless they cause physical damage to the building.
- Negligence – e.g. leaving doors unlocked and a burglary occurs.
- Shoddy DIY jobs.
- Poor workmanship or faulty designs by professional contractors.
- Damages incurred when the property is unoccupied for 30+ days.
- Intentional damage caused by the property owner (to claim an insurance pay-out).
What kind of properties are covered?
- Houses – detached, semi-detached, terraced.
- Bungalows
- Flats/apartments – up to six leasehold flats.
- Non-standard builds (e.g. thatch, timber, cob walls) – you’ll need specialist buildings insurance for this.
Note: You must notify your insurance provider about any alterations or renovations to your insured property.
What Are The Types Of Buildings Insurance In The UK?
There are no types of buildings insurance, as building insurance cover is a type of home insurance in itself.
What Add-Ons Are Available For Buildings Insurance?
UK property owners can add several optional extras to their buildings insurance policy:
Accidental damage cover
Protects you against unfortunate mishaps, like a cricket ball breaking a window.
Contents insurance
Protects household possessions inside the building like sofas, appliances, and TVs.
Liability cover
Public liability insurance protects you against third-party claims should someone get injured on your premises. For example, someone falls and breaks their wrist on a wobbly step and decides to sue you.
Legal expenses cover
Takes care of legal disputes (and legal costs) should someone lay a claim against you and you need to defend yourself in court.
Alternative accommodation cover
Covers the cost of alternative accommodation should you need to move out of the property following severe damage.
Unoccupied property cover
You’ll need this add-on if your home stands empty for more than 30 days.
Home emergency cover
Covers the cost of emergency services when urgent repairs are needed, such as a plumber when a pipe bursts. Some insurers may refer to this policy add-on as emergency repairs insurance.
Protected no-claims discount
Protects your no-claims discount (NCD), even if you make a claim.
Additional flood risk cover
This is advised if you live in a high flood-risk area.
Trace and access cover
Pays for professional leak detectors to locate undetected leaks on your property.
Key/lock cover
As the name suggests, this covers replacing lost/damaged/broken keys and locks. Some insurance providers may include this in a standard policy – confirm these details in your policy documents.
*51% of consumers could save £222.30 on their Home Building & Contents Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next fourteen cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from August 2024. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances.
What Is The Price Of Buildings Insurance?
The average price of buildings insurance is approximately £170 per annum.
Here’s a quick breakdown of annual costs:
| Property Type | Annual Cost (£) |
|---|---|
| One bedroom | £297 |
| Two bedroom | £287 |
| Three bedroom | £326 |
| Four bedroom | £438 |
What influences insurance prices?
Insurance premiums are calculated on your home’s rebuild value. These factors impact costs:
- Property age: Older buildings are more expensive to insure.
- Property location: High crime areas = higher premiums.
- Property market value: Homes in sought-after areas are pricier to insure.
- Property type: The style and building materials used impact insurance prices.
- Property size: Bigger properties = higher premiums.
- Property risks: Areas prone to flooding, subsidence and heave drive up insurance prices.
- Building materials: Non-standard building materials like thatched/timber/steel/glass are more expensive to rebuild and have higher rates.
- Listed buildings: These require specialist materials/labour, equating to higher rates.
- Optional extras: More add-ons result in a higher price.
Luckily, there are ways to reduce your premiums.
How Can You Reduce Buildings Insurance Premiums?
Here are a few tried and tested methods to lower your insurance premiums:
- Get an accurate rebuild cost.
- Compare prices from multiple insurance companies to find the best deal.
- Consider bundling buildings, contents, and car insurance as a package deal.
- Pay annually, not monthly.
- Opt for higher voluntary excess.
- Do not leave properties unoccupied for extended periods.
- Maintain your no-claims discount (i.e. keep claims to a minimum).
- Secure your property to deter criminal activity – e.g. burglar bars, alarm systems, etc.
- Only choose the policy add-ons you need.
- Keep up to date with property maintenance to mitigate any damage or potential injuries to occupants and visitors.
What Should You Consider When Comparing Buildings Insurance Quotes?
Here are a few things to consider when comparing buildings cover in the UK:
- The type of damage your policy covers: What insured events are you protected against? Will the buildings insurance cover subsidence, floods and electrical fires?
- Exclusions and limits: Check the fine print of your policy documents to understand what is and isn’t covered, as some insurers may stipulate a maximum rebuild value.
- Contents insurance: Bundling buildings and contents insurance under a single home insurance policy is a cost-effective option if maximum cover is what you want.
- Alternative accommodation: What would happen if you needed to vacate the premises after a fire or flood? Do you have family or friends to stay at, or would you need to cover hotel costs out of pocket?
- Public liability: This could potentially save thousands of pounds in legal expenses if you’re taken to court should somebody be injured while on your property.
- Emergency helpline: Check if your insurance provider has a 24-hour helpline for emergency repairs.
- Unoccupied insurance: Standard home insurance only covers you if your property stands empty for less than 30 days.
Ready to find a buildings insurance quote? Contact SimplyQuote today or use the 100% free, online comparison tool.
How To Compare Buildings Insurance Quotes With SimplyQuote
Comparing buildings insurance quotes with SimplyQuote is quick and stress-free.
All you need to do is:
- Fill in one quick form with your personal and property details.
- Choose optional extras you want to include in your policy.
- Quickly compare quotes with SimplyQuote’s online comparison tool.
- Save cash on your premiums.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buildings insurance cover is a type of home insurance that covers the cost to completely rebuild your home should it be damaged or destroyed by an insured event.
It only covers the physical building structure (brick and mortar) like walls, roofs and floors as well as permanent fittings and fixtures like built-in wardrobes and fitted kitchens.
While home insurance and building cover are often used interchangeably, they are slightly different.
- Buildings cover refers to specific insurance policies that cover the physical structure’s rebuild costs. These policies are calculated on the rebuild value, or more specifically, the unlimited buildings sum insured.
- Home insurance is a term that includes both buildings and contents insurance for the home as a whole.
No. Rebuild cost refers to how much it will cost to rebuild your home from scratch. Market value, on the other hand, includes the home and land price collectively.