There are so many reasons to self-build, from making that long-held design dream a reality or because you want to sell the finished home for profit. Whatever your reason, it’s vital that you have the right self-build insurance. Despite the term ‘self-build’, it doesn’t mean you’ll be doing everything yourself. Many self-builders plan the project and hire in contractors to carry out the majority of the work, while others do as much as they can by themselves.

What is self-build insurance?

We understand the time and effort that you put into a self-build project, so our insurance for self-build projects helps your designs to withstand any delays or disasters. Whether you’re building a new property from the ground up or continuing work started for you by contractors, we’ll get you the cover that you need.

What does self-build insurance cover?

Our self-build cover protects you for the full cost of your project, materials, fixtures and fittings, and Public Liability for the site. We can also extend this to cover any tools, machinery or Hired in Plant that you may have on site, and your own hand tools if needed.

Building a new property from scratch

Self-build insurance is sometimes referred to as new-build insurance and, for new properties, we provide ‘All Risks’ insurance as part of our Premier Plus cover. When there’s no structure already on site, our policy is generally based just on the contract works only.

Doing it yourself

If you’re looking to do the work yourself, whether a new build, extension or conversion, we can cover you for that under our self-build insurance policy. For example, if you’re a builder who wants to save on labour costs, we can cover you for the work that you do under our Accidental Damage section.

Why do you need self-build site insurance?

Self-building is highly rewarding but it’s also a big and challenging commitment. From the moment that you purchase your plot, you’re liable if something goes wrong – so getting the right kind of self-build house insurance or appropriate self-build cover is crucial.

It’s important to understand that, even when your architect or contractors have their own policy, this won’t always cover you. From someone injuring themselves on your site, to theft of in-demand materials, to the risk of fire and flood, you could face expensive problems without the support of a good self-build insurance company. That’s why we provide specialist cover to protect you if anything goes wrong.

What level of self-build property insurance do I need?

Unlike other self-build insurance providers, we offer three levels of cover depending on your needs. As a self-builder, it’s most likely that you’ll need our Premier Plus cover but it’s always best to talk to us about your project so that we can guide you.

Our key cover levels are:

• Standard – offering essential protection against limited risks
• Premier – providing a wider range or cover, suitable for small-to-medium-sized projects
• Premier Plus – covering ‘All Risks’ and best for larger, more complex self-build renovation

Click here to see how each level of cover compares.

What we need to know to get you covered

Every project is unique so, before we can offer you a quote, we need the following details to help us to find the right cover for you:

• Your project start date
• A description of the works
• How long the works are expected to take
• The overall costs
• Details regarding the existing structure, including the rebuild cost