Building your own self-build home is likely to be a once in a lifetime project. Being a one-off, much of the project is likely to be unfamiliar, especially your insurance obligations and needs.
Self-Build insurance is the colloquial name for to the collection of insurance covers required by self-builders. It’s also the name of our core self-build insurance product. Our SelfBuild insurance is designed for individual self-builders, and is designed to cover the period from the point at which the build phase starts, until build is complete – though it can also cover your site liabilities before work starts.
We’ve produced a series of FAQs that answer the questions we most often get asked by our customers to help guide you through the self-build insurance journey.
Given what a complex subject Self-Build insurance can be, we have provided two guides that we hope you’ll find useful:
The SelfBuild Insurance guide to a stress-free self-build. In this guide, we look at a typical self-build project from planning and dreaming right through to living in the property, and ways that you can make this journey a little bit less stressful.
The SelfBuild Insurance 5 minute guide to our products. In this guide, we set out in straightforward terms the policies that we offer, and how they are designed to protect self-builders and their projects.
This information is provided as a guide only, and if you have any doubts or questions, please give our expert team a ring on 0800 230 0225.
Full details of our Terms & Conditions, Limits, Excesses and Policy Exclusions can be found in our Policy Wordings. SelfBuild Insurance doesn’t offer advice relating to insurance, and you need to ensure that insurance you choose meets your demands and needs.
Q. Who is your SelfBuild insurance designed to cover?
Q. What does your SelfBuild insurance cover?
Q. How long does a self-build insurance policy last?
Q. I don’t know when building will start. Can I still buy Self-Build insurance?
Q. I’ve started my build. Can I get self-build insurance from you?
Q. Can I extend my policy?
Q. Who is your SelfBuild insurance designed to cover?
A. Our SelfBuild insurance is designed for individual self-builders, who are building their own home “from the ground up”, and plan on living in the property once it is complete.
Q. What does your SelfBuild insurance cover?
A. Our SelfBuild insurance is designed to cover the period from the point at which the build phase starts, until build is complete – though it can also cover your site liabilities before work starts. The main covers that are available within this product are:
Public Liability: Your liabilities should someone be killed or injured while on your self-build site.
Employers’ Liability: Your liabilities should someone you employ be killed or injured while working on your site.
Contract Works: The cost of replacing or repairing the structure that is being built.
Contractors All Risks: An alternative name for Contract Works.
Tools: The cost of replacing stolen portable tools that are owned by your employees.
Personal Belongings: The cost of replacing your belongings stored on site whilst you complete your build
Personal Accident: A sum of money should you suffer a permanent disability, such as the loss of limb, or death while on site.
Legal Expenses: Up to £50,000 of legal costs arising from contractual disputes between you and your contractor, utility companies, or the removal of squatters from site during the course of the build.
Buildings: The cost of repairing or replacing the finished property.
Contents: The cost of replacing contents within the finished property.
Materials: The cost of replacing materials you own that are stolen from your site.
Hired-in Plant: The cost of replacing and repairing Plant that you have hired, including hire charges that you may be liable for.
Owned Plant: The cost of repairing or replacing Plant that you own, and that is stolen or damaged.
Temporary Buildings: The cost of repairing or replacing temporary buildings, such as portakabins, that are damaged while on site.
Each of these covers is discussed in more detail in our What is insurance for self-builders FAQ page.
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Q. How long does a self-build insurance policy last?
A. It depends. A self-build policy is designed to last from the start of construction through to completion. Every self-build project is different so you have the option of 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 or 24 months of cover. If you have a plan or schedule for your self-build project you should be able to determine how long construction will take and therefore how long a period of cover you need. If the build phase isn’t completed within the initial policy period, the policy can be extended up to 3 years.
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Q. I don’t know when building will start. Can I still buy Self-Build insurance?
A. If you have a self-build plot but work hasn’t started, Site Liability insurance is designed to cover your site before work has started, and can be converted into a Self-Build policy before the build phase begins.
Alternatively you can purchase a Self-Build insurance policy which is designed to cover both your site liabilities as well as your build phase liabilities, but you’ll be paying for additional cover during the “site only” phase that isn’t effective during this phase. It’s more cost effective to cover your site with Site Liability insurance, and then convert this policy to a Self-Build policy.
Our policies only cover sites where it can be clearly demonstrated that there’s intent to use the land for a self-build project. This can be proven with (a) plans being drawn up for construction that will take place on the land or (b) a submitted application for planning permission that applies to the land.
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Q. I’ve started my build. Can I get self-build insurance from you?
A. If you’ve already started the build phase, we’ll need to discuss your project with you before we can organise any cover. Please ring us on 0800 230 0225, or leave your details in our Call Me form and one of our team will call you back during office hours.
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Q. Can I extend my policy?
A. If things don’t go as planned and you need to extend your policy, please ring us on 0800 230 0225. In many situations, we should be able to extend your policy.
This information is provided as a guide only, and if you have any doubts or questions, please give our team a ring on 0800 230 0225.
Full details of our Terms & Conditions, Limits, Excesses and Policy Exclusions can be found in our Policy Wordings. SelfBuild Insurance doesn’t offer advice relating to insurance, and you need to ensure that insurance you choose meets your demands and needs.
back to top