halifax buildings insurance

boyfromwales

Hello, my first post. Looking for some help / advice.

I moved my home insurance last year from Royal Sun Alliance to Halifax. We have had to make a claim for a burst pipe. The water has caused serious damage to our kitchen ceiling, kitchen units and built in oven.

Halifax have arranged for a contractor to visit and repair the damage, they have not provided the option of us appointing our own builder.

Our previous insurance company would allow us to source a local contractor and they would pay them direct.

I would rather have a local contractor do the work, we have a contact that has done work for us and we are happy with him, the work would also be cheaper this way.

I cant see any wording in the policy that we have to use their contractors, but they are not keen on me selecting my own.

Can this be challenged?

huckster

Just ask them for the process of using your own contractors. They will have one. They might get their own contractor to quote for the work and then you will have to match or beat that quote. This could delay the damage being rectified, as no doubt Halifax would want to see detailed quotes from your contractor, before they agreed to make payments.

If you instruct your own contractor and payment is made via yourselves, it will be up to you to resolve any future disputes with the contractor. If the Insurers use their own contractors or they pay your favoured local contractors directly, then the contract is with the Insurers who would then be responsible for sorting out any dispute with the contractor.