Self-Build Insurance

You concentrate on the build and we’ll take care of the cover.

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There are so many reasons to self-build, from making that long-held design dream a reality or because you want to sell the finished home for profit. Whatever your reason, it’s vital that you have the right self-build insurance. Despite the term ‘self-build’, it doesn’t mean you’ll be doing everything yourself. Many self-builders plan the project and hire in contractors to carry out the majority of the work, while others do as much as they can by themselves.

What is self-build insurance?

We understand the time and effort that you put into a self-build project, so our insurance for self-build projects helps your designs to withstand any delays or disasters. Whether you’re building a new property from the ground up or continuing work started for you by contractors, we’ll get you the cover that you need.

What does self-build insurance cover?

Our self-build cover protects you for the full cost of your project, materials, fixtures and fittings, and Public Liability for the site. We can also extend this to cover any tools, machinery or Hired in Plant that you may have on site, and your own hand tools if needed.

Building a new property from scratch

Self-build insurance is sometimes referred to as new-build insurance and, for new properties, we provide ‘All Risks’ insurance as part of our Premier Plus cover. When there’s no structure already on site, our policy is generally based just on the contract works only.

Doing it yourself

If you’re looking to do the work yourself, whether a new build, extension or conversion, we can cover you for that under our self-build insurance policy. For example, if you’re a builder who wants to save on labour costs, we can cover you for the work that you do under our Accidental Damage section.

Why do you need self-build site insurance?

Self-building is highly rewarding but it’s also a big and challenging commitment. From the moment that you purchase your plot, you’re liable if something goes wrong – so getting the right kind of self-build house insurance or appropriate self-build cover is crucial.

It’s important to understand that, even when your architect or contractors have their own policy, this won’t always cover you. From someone injuring themselves on your site, to theft of in-demand materials, to the risk of fire and flood, you could face expensive problems without the support of a good self-build insurance company. That’s why we provide specialist cover to protect you if anything goes wrong.

What level of self-build property insurance do I need?

Unlike other self-build insurance providers, we offer three levels of cover depending on your needs. As a self-builder, it’s most likely that you’ll need our Premier Plus cover but it’s always best to talk to us about your project so that we can guide you.

Our key cover levels are:

  • Standard – offering essential protection against limited risks
  • Premier – providing a wider range or cover, suitable for small-to-medium-sized projects
  • Premier Plus – covering ‘All Risks’ and best for larger, more complex self-build renovation

Click here to see how each level of cover compares.

What we need to know to get you covered

Every project is unique so, before we can offer you a quote, we need the following details to help us to find the right cover for you:

  • Your project start date
  • A description of the works
  • How long the works are expected to take
  • The overall costs
  • Details regarding the existing structure, including the rebuild cost

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FAQs

Q: I’m living on site during my build. Will this be a problem?

A: No, we don’t mind if you’re living on site, and we know many people who do. Our self-build insurance policy can cover your caravan or site huts.

 

Q: Will my builder be insuring the works?

A: If you appoint a main contractor, they may well have their own insurance for the works – but this could be for their liabilities only, which are different to yours. This could leave the contract works uninsured and you at risk, so having the right self-build house insurance policy in place gives you complete protection.

Q: If my project doesn’t go to plan, can I extend my self-build construction insurance policy?

A: Believe us, we understand that projects don’t always go to plan! That’s why we offer flexible self-build insurance policy extensions for a minimum period of one month at a time and we’ll be in touch before your policy expires to check if you need an extension. Not all self-build insurance brokers offer the same levels of understanding and flexibility as we do.

Q: How much does a self-build insurance policy cost?

A: Every project is different, so we need to know the full details of your plans before we can give you an accurate price. However, you can start your self-build insurance quote online which will give you an indication, and we’ll get back to you with the accurate cost.

Just so you know, we insure self-build projects on our Premier Plus level of cover, which has a minimum premium of £697, inclusive of insurance premium tax and our fee. There’s no one-size-fits-all policy, so we can’t provide an average cost of self-build insurance. However, we know that we’ll be able to offer a policy tailored to your specific needs.

Q: How do I get a self-build insurance quote?

A: We know that getting a quote for self-build house or building site insurance isn’t as straightforward as standard insurance but don’t worry; this is where we come in. You can get a quote online and, if you need any further support, feel free to contact our team.

We always recommend filling in as much project information as possible before contacting us so that, when we get in touch, we can help you out quickly and easily. Of course, you are always welcome to do your own self-build site insurance policy comparison research beforehand.

Q: I have a JCT contract in place. Can you cater for this?

A: Yes, our Premier Plus cover meets JCT requirements. We may just need some further information on which option is selected as we might need to note the contractor as joint insured on the policy.

Q: How does JCT insurance work with a self-build insurance policy?

A: JCT insurance (also known as JCT Clause 21.2.1 or Non-Negligence insurance) can be included as an optional extra. JCT insurance protects you against claims resulting from damage to any third-party property caused by collapse, cracking or subsidence as a result of your self-build project being carried out. We recommend this cover if you’re planning major ground works and have properties either next to or very close to the building works, or touching party walls (especially under a party wall act).

Sometimes the terms can get confusing. If your contractor recommends JCT insurance, make sure that you find out if they mean Non-Negligence cover or if they simply need your insurance policy to be in joint names with the contractor to comply with your JCT contract. These are different – so, if you’re unsure, just get in touch.

Our 3 levels of cover

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