Buildings Insurance
Compare Buildings Insurance Quotes
You could save up to £257* on buildings insurance in minutes.
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What Is Buildings Insurance?
Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding the physical structure of your home if it is damaged or destroyed by an insured event such as fire, flood, storm, or subsidence.
It protects the bricks and mortar, the roof, floors, windows, doors, and permanent fixtures like fitted kitchens and bathroom suites. The Association of British Insurers estimates that the average buildings insurance claim for fire damage exceeds £50,000, making cover a financial safety net most homeowners cannot afford to go without.
There is no legal requirement to have buildings insurance, but most mortgage lenders insist on it as a condition of lending.
How To Compare Buildings Insurance Quotes
You can compare buildings insurance quotes in under five minutes by entering your property details, choosing your cover level, and reviewing prices from multiple insurers.
Enter your property details
Provide the property address, type, age, number of bedrooms, construction materials, and your estimated rebuild cost. You also need your personal details and claims history.
Choose your cover level and extras
Decide on your voluntary excess amount and select any add-ons you want, such as accidental damage cover or home emergency cover.
Compare quotes side by side
Review pricing, cover limits, and excess amounts from multiple providers. Every insurer on our panel is regulated by the FCA, so all quotes meet the same consumer protection standards.
Buy online and get covered
Choose the policy that fits your property and budget. Your cover note and policy documents arrive by email, so your home is protected straight away.
What Does Buildings Insurance Cover?
Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your home, permanent fixtures and fittings, and damage caused by a range of insured events including fire, flood, storm, subsidence, and theft.
Walls, roof, and floors
The main structure of your property is covered, including external and internal walls, the roof, ceilings, and all flooring. This extends to foundations and any load-bearing elements.
Permanent fixtures and fittings
Fitted kitchens, bathroom suites, built-in wardrobes, boilers, plumbing, wiring, and fixed light fittings are all included. If it would stay in place when you moved house, it counts as a permanent fixture.
Outbuildings and external structures
Most policies cover garages, sheds, greenhouses, and garden walls. Swimming pools, patios, driveways, and fences are often covered too, though limits vary between insurers.
Subsidence, heave, and landslip
Cover for ground movement that causes structural damage to your property. Subsidence claims can run into tens of thousands of pounds, so this cover is particularly valuable for homes built on clay soil.
Storm and flood damage
Damage caused by storms, heavy rain, and flooding is covered as standard. If your property sits in a high-risk flood area, the Flood Re scheme helps keep premiums affordable by reinsuring flood risk through a government-backed fund.
Fire, explosion, and lightning
Full cover for damage caused by fire, explosion, smoke, and lightning strikes. This includes the cost of demolishing unsafe structures and rebuilding from scratch if necessary.
Theft and vandalism
Covers repair costs if your property is damaged during a break-in or act of vandalism. Forced entry through doors, windows, or walls is typically covered under the standard policy.
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What Is Not Covered By Buildings Insurance?
Standard buildings insurance excludes general wear and tear, pre-existing damage, deliberate damage, and loss caused by poor maintenance or leaving the property unoccupied for extended periods.
General wear and tear
Peeling paint, worn carpets, crumbling mortar, and ageing roof tiles are maintenance issues, not insured events. Buildings insurance only pays for sudden, unexpected damage.
Pre-existing damage
Any damage that existed before you took out the policy is excluded. Insurers may inspect your property or check survey records before agreeing to cover it.
Rot, damp, and frost damage
Wet rot, dry rot, rising damp, and frost damage are generally excluded because they develop gradually and are considered maintenance failures rather than sudden events.
Unoccupied properties
Most policies exclude claims on properties left empty for more than 30 consecutive days. If your home will be unoccupied for longer, you need specialist unoccupied property cover.
Deliberate damage and negligence
Damage you cause intentionally to claim a payout is fraud. Claims may also be rejected if damage results from negligence, such as leaving windows open during a storm.
Poor workmanship
Faulty building work, botched DIY, and damage caused by contractors are not covered. You would need to pursue the tradesperson or their professional indemnity insurer instead.
How Much Does Buildings Insurance Cost?
The average cost of buildings insurance in the UK is around £280–£330 per year, but prices vary widely depending on your property type, location, rebuild cost, and chosen cover level.
| Property Type | Typical Annual Premium |
| 1-bed flat | £120–£200 |
| 2-bed terraced house | £150–£280 |
| 3-bed semi-detached | £180–£350 |
| 4-bed detached house | £250–£500 |
| 5+ bed / large property | £400–£800+ |
What affects the price?
Insurers base premiums on the rebuild cost of your property, not its market value. The rebuild cost is what it would cost to completely reconstruct your home from the ground up, including materials and labour.
Other factors include the property's age, location, construction materials, claims history, and whether it sits in a flood or subsidence risk area.
Rebuild cost vs market value
Your rebuild cost is almost always lower than the market value because it excludes land value and location premiums. You can find your rebuild cost on your mortgage valuation, use the ABI calculator, or commission a RICS surveyor.
*51% of consumers could save £257.05 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 April 2026. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances.
What Add-Ons Are Available For Buildings Insurance?
Most insurers offer optional extras you can add to your standard buildings insurance policy, including accidental damage cover, home emergency cover, legal expenses, and alternative accommodation.
Accidental damage cover
Covers damage you or your family cause accidentally, such as putting a foot through a ceiling, drilling into a pipe, or cracking a window. Without this add-on, only damage from insured events like storms or fires is covered.
Home emergency cover
Pays for emergency callouts when something goes seriously wrong, such as a burst pipe, boiler breakdown, or total loss of electricity. Most policies cap emergency repairs at around £500–£1,000 per incident.
Legal expenses cover
Covers legal costs if you need to pursue or defend a property-related dispute, such as a boundary disagreement with a neighbour or a claim against a builder for faulty work.
Alternative accommodation
Pays for temporary housing if your home becomes uninhabitable following an insured event. This typically covers hotel costs, rental accommodation, or storage fees for your belongings.
Contents insurance
Adding contents insurance to your buildings policy creates a combined home insurance package. Bundling the two together is usually cheaper than buying them separately.
Trace and access cover
Pays for the cost of locating and accessing hidden leaks, including lifting floorboards, removing tiles, or opening walls. Without this, you may be covered for the water damage itself but not the cost of finding the source.
Who Needs Buildings Insurance?
Any homeowner responsible for the physical structure of their property should have buildings insurance, whether they have a mortgage or own the property outright.
Homeowners with a mortgage
Almost all mortgage lenders require buildings insurance as a condition of lending. The policy protects the lender's investment by ensuring the property can be repaired or rebuilt if it is damaged.
Homeowners without a mortgage
Even without a lender requirement, buildings insurance protects your largest financial asset. Rebuilding a three-bedroom semi after a fire could cost £230,000–£350,000, a sum few homeowners could fund from savings.
Landlords
Landlords need buildings insurance for every rental property they own. Many opt for specialist landlord insurance, which bundles buildings cover with landlord liability and loss of rental income protection.
Leaseholders and flat owners
In most leasehold arrangements, the freeholder arranges buildings insurance for the whole building and charges each leaseholder a share. Check your lease to confirm who is responsible.
See our guide on what is buildings insurance for a fuller explanation of how leasehold cover works.
Who does not need buildings insurance?
Tenants renting a property do not need buildings insurance because the landlord or freeholder is responsible for the structure. Renters should consider contents insurance instead to protect their belongings.
How To Save Money On Buildings Insurance
The best ways to reduce your premium are getting an accurate rebuild cost, comparing multiple quotes, increasing your voluntary excess, and improving your home security.
Get an accurate rebuild cost
Over-estimating your rebuild cost means you pay more than you need to, while under-estimating means you may not be fully covered. Use the ABI rebuild cost calculator or commission a RICS survey for a precise figure.
Compare quotes from multiple insurers
Prices for the same property can vary by hundreds of pounds between insurers. Comparing quotes side by side takes minutes and is the single most effective way to cut your premium.
Increase your voluntary excess
Raising the amount you agree to pay towards any claim reduces your annual premium. A £250 excess instead of £100 can knock 10–15% off the price.
Improve your home security
Fitting British Standard locks, a burglar alarm, and security lighting can lower your premium. Some insurers offer specific discounts for homes with monitored alarm systems.
Pay annually instead of monthly
Monthly payments include interest charges that typically add 10–15% to the total cost. Paying the full amount upfront avoids this markup.
Bundle buildings and contents insurance
Buying a combined home insurance policy is almost always cheaper than purchasing buildings and contents cover from separate providers.
Maintain your no-claims discount
Every claim-free year builds your no-claims discount, which can reduce your premium by up to 60–70% over several years. Consider whether small claims are worth losing that discount.
Check your flood risk
Use the GOV.UK flood risk checker to see if your property sits in a high-risk area. If it does, the Flood Re scheme may help keep your premium affordable.
Compare Buildings Insurance
Compare buildings insurance quotes from UK insurers in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buildings insurance is a type of home insurance that covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding the physical structure of your property, including walls, the roof, floors, and permanent fixtures like fitted kitchens and bathrooms.
No, there is no legal requirement to have buildings insurance in the UK. However, most mortgage lenders require it as a condition of lending to protect the value of the property.
Buildings insurance covers the physical structure and permanent fixtures of your property. Contents insurance covers your movable possessions inside the home, such as furniture, electronics, and clothing.
The average cost is around £280–£330 per year, but premiums range from around £120 for a one-bed flat to over £500 for a large detached house, depending on location, rebuild cost, and cover level.
The rebuild cost is what it would cost to completely reconstruct your property from scratch, including labour and materials. It is usually lower than the market value because it excludes land, and you can find it on your mortgage valuation or use the ABI calculator.
Yes, most standard buildings insurance policies cover subsidence, heave, and landslip. However, if your property has a history of subsidence, you may face higher premiums or a larger excess.
Yes, flood damage is covered as standard on most policies. Properties in high-risk flood areas may benefit from the Flood Re scheme, which helps keep premiums manageable.
Most standard policies exclude claims on properties left empty for more than 30 consecutive days. If your home will be empty for longer, you need specialist unoccupied property cover.
No, tenants do not need buildings insurance because the landlord or freeholder is responsible for insuring the structure. Renters should consider contents insurance to protect their personal belongings.
Yes, but listed buildings usually need specialist cover because repairs must use original or approved materials and techniques. Premiums are typically higher than for standard properties.
Usually, yes. Buying a combined home insurance policy from one provider is almost always cheaper than purchasing buildings and contents cover separately from different insurers.
