It’s an understandable and natural assumption: if your home is insured, it must be insured while being renovated. Sadly, that assumption is incorrect — and even hazardous.
Actually, 86% of homeowners wrongly assume their basic home insurance will cover them during renovations. Intuitively, it makes sense, but the reality is that most policies won’t give you the cover you need when building works start.
Let’s walk you through why using your home insurance for renovations might leave you paying out — and what you should do to keep yourself safe.
What Your Home Insurance Does and Doesn’t Cover
Some home insurance policies allow limited renovation work — usually to a set value — without invalidating your current cover. However, you must inform your insurer before work begins. Failure to do so could invalidate your entire policy, including contents insurance.
Even if your insurer confirms that your cover is still active, it’s often very minimal (e.g., only covering fire or flood). Here’s what your policy usually won’t cover:
Your Contractor’s Damage
- If a builder accidentally damages your property, your home insurance won’t cover the repairs.
- Contractor liability policies only pay out if they’re proven negligent — which is not always easy to prove.
- Even when liability is accepted, you might not receive the payout directly.
Catastrophic Structural Damage
- If a major structural incident occurs — like a collapsed chimney — most insurers will not pay if it’s related to renovation works.
- You could be liable for full reconstruction costs, which may run into hundreds of thousands.
Theft or Damage of Building Materials
- Home insurance doesn’t usually cover materials stored on-site.
- Builders only insure materials they own — not the ones you purchase.
- If materials are stolen or destroyed, you might not be able to recover the costs.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Rely on Home Insurance for Renovations
Even if you’ve informed your insurer, most policies clearly state:
“Any loss or damage in connection with building works is excluded.”
That means even damage to unrelated areas of your home caused by renovations may not be covered. A risky position to be in.
What Should You Do Instead?
- Notify your insurer before starting any renovation — even small jobs.
- Review your policy for building work exclusions.
- Take out specialist renovation insurance that covers:
- Damage caused during renovation
- Theft of on-site materials
- Public liability claims
- Structural failure or collapse
- Fire and storm damage
Also, verify that your contractor has appropriate insurance — and request proof.
Guard Your Property – And Your Wallet
Renovation work, whether big or small, involves risks that typical home insurance doesn’t cover. Don’t wait to find out the hard way that you’re unprotected.
Speak to a professional insurance provider before work starts to ensure you’re fully covered — and have complete peace of mind during your project.