Buildings Insurance: Structural Alterations

John_Amith

Dear All,

I am stuck with seemingly ordinary application for buildings insurance:
● 1930s mid-terrace building with structural alterations to the original building. These include:
+ Loft conversion
+ Chimney breast removal
+ Bearing wall at the back taken down to make an opening to a conservatory
● Apparently the owners didn't bother to obtain any completion certificates of work

Every policy on the market has an exclusion on 'faulty workmanship, defective design or the use of defective materials or occurring while the buildings are undergoing demolition or structural alterations or repairs'.

I am talking to insurers' call centre, underwriters and insurance brokers. Three different people from each organisation give me three different answers on whether the building can be insured at all, or what kind of increased premiums am I expected to pay.

I am not sure if my wording is confusing, but many insist that the policy will be invalidated off start. The thing is, no application form contains a question on alterations.

Apparently Latent Defects Insurance specialists are not interested as long as the building was happily stable for more than 20 years.

I would appreciate any thoughts on whether this building can be insured.


Best regards,
John

rs65

John_Amith wrote: »

I am not sure if my wording is confusing, but many insist that the policy will be invalidated off start. The thing is, no application form contains a question on alterations.

If not asked, then you no longer have to volunteer information.

John_Amith wrote: »

Every policy on the market has an exclusion on 'faulty workmanship, defective design or the use of defective materials or occurring while the buildings are undergoing demolition or structural alterations or repairs'.

Policies won't cover faulty workmanship etc and your house isn't undergoing alterations.

To be honest, I'm not sure what your concern is.

eddddy

Based on what you have said, you just need a standard insurance policy. You are probably confusing the call centre agents.


On a more general level...

Buildings insurance covers specific risks like damage caused by Fire, explosion, lightning or earthquake. Smoke. Storm or Flood. Riot, civil unrest, strikes, or labour or political disturbances. etc, etc, etc.

So, for example, if your loft is damaged due to one of the above risks, it will almost certainly be covered (irrelevant of building regs etc).

If, for example, your loft is damaged for a reason not stated in the policy (e.g. because the joists are too small or because the joists are rotten), it won't be covered.


If you are worried about issues like joists being too small, or joists being rotten, you can ask a surveyor's opinion - but you won't find insurance to protect you from these types of risks.