What Is Accidental Damage Cover?
Accidental damage cover is an optional add-on to your home insurance that pays to repair or replace items damaged by sudden, unintentional incidents that your standard policy does not cover.
Standard home insurance covers named perils such as fire, theft, storm, and escape of water. Accidental damage extends that protection to everyday accidents like spilling paint on a carpet, drilling through a pipe, or a child breaking a window with a football.
You can add it to your buildings cover, your contents cover, or both. This guide explains what it includes, what it excludes, and how to decide whether you need it.
Accidental damage cover is an optional add-on, not part of standard home insurance. Without it, everyday accidents like spilling paint on a carpet or drilling through a pipe aren’t covered. You need to add it to buildings and contents separately, because selecting it on one doesn’t extend to the other.
Add accidental damage to your home insurance quote to see what the extra cover costs.
What does accidental damage cover include?
Accidental damage cover protects against one-off incidents that are sudden, unexpected, and unintentional, where the damage is caused by an identifiable event rather than gradual deterioration.
Buildings accidental damage
This covers damage to the permanent structure and fixed fittings of your home. Common claims include drilling through a pipe or cable, putting a foot through a ceiling, cracking a ceramic hob, and breaking a window from inside.
You add it to your buildings insurance as a separate option.
Contents accidental damage
This covers damage to your moveable belongings. Common claims include spilling liquid on a laptop or television, dropping a valuable ornament, a child damaging furniture, and knocking over a lamp or mirror.
You add it to your contents insurance independently of the buildings add-on.
Buildings and contents are separate add-ons
Adding accidental damage to your contents policy does not cover your buildings, and adding it to buildings does not cover your contents. If you want both, you need to select accidental damage on each section of your policy.
What is not covered by accidental damage?
Accidental damage has clear exclusions, and understanding them before you claim prevents surprises.
| Exclusion | Why it is excluded |
| Wear and tear | Gradual deterioration from normal use is maintenance, not an accident. |
| Pet damage | A dog chewing a sofa or a cat scratching a door is ongoing behaviour, not a sudden one-off incident. |
| Poor workmanship | Damage from lack of skill or ignoring instructions during DIY may be treated as negligence. |
| Mechanical or electrical breakdown | Appliances failing due to age or component wear are not accidental events. |
| Items outside the home | Standard accidental damage only applies inside the property. Items carried outside need a personal possessions add-on. |
| Deliberate damage | Damage you cause intentionally, or damage caused by someone acting with your knowledge, is excluded. |
| Gradual processes | Rising damp, condensation, rust, and mould develop over time and are not sudden incidents. |
The pet damage grey area
Pet damage is one of the most misunderstood exclusions. A dog chewing furniture over weeks is excluded because it is ongoing behaviour.
A genuine one-off incident, such as a dog knocking a television off a stand, may be covered because the damage was sudden and accidental. The distinction is between a pattern of behaviour and a single unexpected event.
How does accidental damage work alongside standard cover?
Accidental damage cover does not replace your standard home insurance. It adds a layer of protection on top of the named perils your standard policy already covers.
Standard cover vs accidental damage
If your carpet is damaged by a burst pipe, that is an escape-of-water claim on your standard policy. If you spill a pot of paint on the same carpet, that is an accidental damage claim.
Excess on accidental damage claims
When you claim, you pay the policy excess. Some insurers apply a higher excess for accidental damage claims than for standard claims, so check your policy schedule before you need to use it.
Impact on future premiums
Any claim can affect your premium at renewal, and multiple accidental damage claims in a short period could increase your premium or lead an insurer to decline renewal.
Under FCA pricing rules (from January 2022), renewing customers cannot be charged more than equivalent new customers, but premiums still vary between providers.
Do you need accidental damage cover?
Whether you need it depends on your household, the value of your belongings, and your tolerance for absorbing unexpected repair or replacement costs.
Households where it adds most value
Families with young children top the list because children cause a disproportionate share of accidental damage: drawn-on walls, spilled drinks, broken ornaments, and damaged furniture.
Frequent DIY households also benefit because the risk of drilling through a pipe or cable is higher when you regularly carry out home improvement work.
Expensive fixtures and belongings
If you have a high-end fitted kitchen, premium flooring, or expensive bathroom fittings, buildings accidental damage protects against costly repair bills. Similarly, valuable electronics, designer furniture, or fragile items make contents accidental damage worth considering.
When you might skip it
If you have substantial savings and would comfortably absorb the cost of replacing a broken appliance or repairing a damaged carpet, the add-on may not justify the extra premium. The decision comes down to personal risk tolerance.
How do you add accidental damage to your policy?
You can add accidental damage when you take out a new policy, at renewal, or mid-term by contacting your insurer.
During the quote process
Most insurers offer accidental damage as a tick-box option during the quote. Select it for buildings, contents, or both, and the premium adjusts immediately.
What to check when comparing
Check whether accidental damage is available on both sections of the policy, not just one, and compare the excess for accidental damage claims against the standard excess.
The ABI guide to additional home cover explains what to look for when choosing add-ons.
Policies that include it as standard
A few premium-tier policies include accidental damage as standard. If one quote looks more expensive, check whether accidental damage is already included before ruling it out.
Honest disclosure
Under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, you must answer your insurer’s questions honestly when adding cover. Misrepresentation can reduce or void a claim.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
No, accidental damage covers physical damage to an item such as breaking, tearing, or staining. Accidental loss (losing a piece of jewellery, for example) is typically covered under personal possessions insurance as a separate add-on.
No, accidental damage on your home insurance only applies inside the property. To cover items you carry outside you need personal possessions cover as a separate add-on.
Any claim can affect your premium at renewal. A single claim may have a modest impact, but multiple claims in a short period could increase your premium or lead your insurer to decline renewal.
Genuine DIY accidents are usually covered, such as drilling through a water pipe or putting your foot through a ceiling. Damage caused by poor workmanship or failure to follow instructions may be treated as negligence rather than an accident.
Ongoing pet behaviour (chewing, scratching, repeated soiling) is excluded. A genuine one-off incident, such as a dog knocking a television off a stand, may be covered because it was sudden and accidental.
Yes, contact your insurer to add it to your existing policy. There may be a small premium adjustment for the remaining term.
If you rent, your landlord’s policy covers the building. Your renters insurance covers your belongings, and you can add contents accidental damage to protect against everyday accidents inside the property.