what does buildings insurance cover?

It covers the main structure of your home. If it were to subside, burn down or be damaged or destroyed by extreme weather, your policy covers the costs of rebuilding or repair. It also covers any permanent fixtures in your home like built-in wardrobes, fitted carpets, kitchen surfaces, taps, basins, baths and showers. 

Homeprotect buildings insurance also covers outbuildings, boundary walls, gates, pools, drives and paths as standard (with only a few exclusions – please see the policy document for full details). It will also cover the cost of suitable temporary alternative accommodation should your home be uninhabitable following a claim.

The buildings insurance policy does not cover damage caused gradually, or by wear and tear, or by failure to fix a known issue. Neither will it cover incidents resulting from faulty design or poor workmanship, pets, or mechanical or electrical faults.

Buildings insurance covers the structure of the home together with its fixtures and fittings: it covers the cost of repair or rebuilding after fire or weather damage for instance. Contents insurance covers the contents of your home, the possessions you would take with you if you moved house.

Front doors locks are considered part of the building so are covered for any claim arising from a risk we cover. Homeprotect policies also protect you against up to £750 of the cost of replacing security features if your keys are stolen. 

The cost of a buildings and contents insurance policy varies depending on the size, location and type of your property. The cost also varies depending on how much cover you take out, whether you opt to pay a little more to reduce your excess and whether you opt to buy any of the additional cover options such as home emergency cover or legal expenses cover. Find out how much your buildings and contents insurance costs by getting a quick and easy quote online from Homeprotect.

Yes, we can cover properties which are divided up into up to six leasehold flats. We will need to know details about each property to be able to provide a quote.

There is no cover under Homeprotect home insurance policies for pet damage caused to buildings or contents. Pets are defined as ‘domestic animals kept for companionship, excluding dangerous dogs defined in the dangerous dogs act (1991)’.

We define accidental damage as a sudden, unexpected, and unforeseen event that results in physical damage. The damage must be caused by you, your guests, domestic staff, a third party (excluding contractors) or wild animals. Accidental damage cover is optional, and there are two levels of cover – basic and full – under both buildings and contents.

Loss and damage to satellite dishes are not covered by the policy. However, if the satellite equipment causes damage to the building, then the building damage will be covered.

Yes, solar panels are covered unless your policy schedule states otherwise as long as they are owned by you, or you are legally responsible for them and attached to the property. Find out more about our cover for cover for solar panels.

There are three main types of barn conversions in the UK: box construction barns, cruck framed barns, post and truss barns. We are able to provide insurance cover for all three. Even if your property does not fall into one of these categories, we can most likely offer you a quote for buildings and/or contents cover. Use the online quote service to get started, or contact our customer services team with any questions.

Consulting a chartered surveyor is the surest way to receive an accurate rebuild cost. In fact, if your home is using non-standard construction materials or you are renovating a listed building then you will need to do this. That said, for standard construction houses, you can use the free online BCIS Rebuild calculator.