Home Insurance During Renovations Explained

Home insurance during renovations usually stays valid for small jobs, but you must tell your insurer before major or structural work starts, or you risk invalidating your cover. Most insurers treat building work as a change in risk, and some adjust the premium, add conditions, or decline to cover the parts of the home being altered.

What counts as “major” varies by insurer. Some include minor work automatically and ask you to declare projects from around £20,000; others set higher or lower thresholds, exclude structural changes, or require the property to be treated as unoccupied if it sits empty for a set number of days. The safest rule is simple: call your insurer before any spade goes in the ground.

Free Price Compare compares combined buildings and contents home insurance from a panel of 42 providers, so you can see which insurers will keep you covered through building work and at what price.

Last updated: October 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed October 2026

Do I need to tell my insurer about building works?

You must tell your insurer about renovations or building works that materially change the risk, such as structural alterations, extensions, or any project where the property will be empty or exposed. Not declaring work the insurer would have wanted to know about can void a claim, even one unrelated to the building work. Treat notification as a legal duty under the policy’s fair-presentation terms, not an optional courtesy.

Minor internal jobs, such as redecorating or replacing a bathroom, are often covered automatically under a “minor works” clause. Larger or structural projects almost always need declaring. If you are unsure which category your project falls into, assume you need to tell them. A quick call costs nothing; a rejected claim can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

When you do call, give the insurer the scope of work, the estimated cost, the start and end dates, whether anyone will still be living there, and whether the home will be empty at any point. These details decide whether your existing policy continues, whether the premium changes, and whether any exclusions apply during the work. For a fuller breakdown of what standard policies include, see our guide on whether home insurance covers renovations.

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What does renovation insurance cover and not cover?

Renovation insurance protects your existing building and, in some policies, the new works, materials and liability arising during a project. It typically extends a home insurance policy to account for the higher risks that come with building work, and it fills gaps a standard policy leaves open once contractors are on site.

Cover available on renovation or specialist policies commonly includes:

• The existing structure of the home during the works.
• Buildings cover up to a stated sum insured, often up to around £1 million on specialist products.
• Contents, where you still live in the property.
• Theft of fixtures and sometimes building materials on site.
• Public liability if a third party is injured by the works.

What renovation insurance usually does not cover is the contractor’s own workmanship. If a builder damages your home or makes a mistake, their public liability or professional indemnity insurance should respond, not your household policy. Faulty work, defective materials, gradual damage and wear and tear are also commonly excluded, as is accidental damage to the specific part of the home being worked on. Always read the policy wording for exclusions tied to the renovation area.

Standards bodies set the backdrop here. Work covered by Building Regulations and signed off by Local Authority Building Control (LABC), or warranted through the National House Building Council (NHBC) on new builds, sits alongside your insurance rather than replacing it. Insurance covers sudden, accidental events; it does not cover poor-quality or unapproved work.

Can I live in my house during renovations with the same insurance?

You can often keep the same home insurance while living in the property during renovations, provided you tell the insurer and the work is non-structural or within their declared limits. Many insurers will continue cover for occupied homes undergoing minor to moderate work, sometimes with a higher premium or added conditions such as securing tools and materials overnight.

Living on site helps your risk profile. Occupied homes are checked continuously, so water leaks, fire or theft are spotted sooner, which is exactly why insurers price empty homes higher. If you move out even partly, tell your insurer, because an empty property during building work is where most disputes arise. Community advice is consistent on this point: a phone call to confirm your status is far cheaper than a refused claim.

Where structural work makes the home unsafe or impossible to occupy, the insurer may require you to switch to specialist renovation or unoccupied cover for the duration. Our guide on keeping buildings and contents cover in place explains how the two elements interact while you are still living there.

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Does my insurance cover unoccupied properties during renovations?

Standard home insurance usually restricts or withdraws cover once a property is empty beyond a set period, and that period varies by insurer. Available provider material in 2026 refers to unoccupied thresholds ranging from 30 to 60 consecutive days, after which you typically need unoccupied home insurance. Renovation projects that leave the home empty for weeks or months frequently cross this line.

Unoccupied home insurance is a specialist policy for properties that are empty for extended periods, priced higher because insurers face increased risks of vandalism, theft and undiscovered water damage. Some providers continue limited cover when a home is unattended for a short window, such as 72 consecutive hours, while excluding specific perils like escape of water, escape of oil and malicious damage during that gap.

Insurers that offer unoccupied renovation cover often attach conditions. These can include regular inspections, sometimes at least every 14 days with dated records, security requirements, limits on hot works such as welding or roofing torches, and the need to declare the project scope before work begins. For context on why empty homes attract more claims disputes, see how long absences affect home insurance claims.

How much does renovation insurance cost?

Renovation insurance cost depends on the project size, whether the home is occupied or empty, the property’s value and location, and the length of cover you need. There is no verified UK-wide average premium specifically for home insurance during renovations, so treat any single figure as indicative rather than a market benchmark.

Based on current provider and broker pages in 2026, indicative price points include:

Figures are indicative and may change; Insurance Premium Tax may apply on top.

Two things move the price most. First, vacancy: a home empty for six to 12 months is priced far higher than one occupied throughout. Second, project type: non-structural work is often absorbed within an existing policy at little or no extra cost, while structural work, extensions or higher-value projects frequently need an underwriter referral and a bespoke quote. Comparing across several insurers matters here, because appetite for renovation risk differs sharply between providers.

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At what value do renovations need to be declared?

Renovation value thresholds for declaring work vary by insurer, with no single legal figure that applies across the market. Some insurers include building work below around £20,000 within standard home insurance and ask you to declare anything above that so the policy can be adjusted. Others set the automatic limit at around £50,000 for non-structural work, or exclude structural changes entirely regardless of cost.

Because thresholds differ, the figure in one policy does not transfer to another. A project that one insurer absorbs without charge might trigger a referral, a higher premium, or a decline elsewhere. Some providers will not continue cover at all once works exceed a stated figure, leaving you to find a specialist product.

Structural work almost always needs declaring regardless of value. Extensions, loft conversions, removing load-bearing walls, re-roofing and underpinning change the building’s risk and often engage the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, Building Regulations and LABC sign-off. Undeclared structural changes are a common reason claims are restricted or refused, so declare early and in writing.

Will renovations affect my over 70s home insurance cover?

Renovations affect over 70s home insurance in the same way as any other home insurance: you must declare the work, and the insurer decides whether cover continues, changes price, or needs a specialist product. Age itself does not change the duty to notify or the rules on occupancy and structural work; the policy conditions are what matter.

Where age can matter is practical risk management. Insurers may ask who is overseeing the project, whether the home remains occupied, and how security and inspections are maintained if you move out during works. Specialist over 70s policies sometimes include helplines and accidental damage as standard, which can be useful while contractors are on site, but the core rule stands: tell the insurer before work begins.

If a renovation makes the home temporarily unsuitable to live in, an over 70s policyholder faces the same unoccupied-property thresholds as everyone else. Confirm with the insurer whether you need unoccupied home insurance for the duration, and keep written confirmation of what has been agreed.

What insurance covers contractor mistakes?

A contractor’s own public liability insurance covers mistakes or damage the builder causes to your home, not your household policy. Public liability insurance protects a tradesperson against claims for injury or property damage arising from their work, which is why checking a contractor holds it, commonly at least £1 million of cover, is one of the most important steps before work starts.

Ask for evidence before the first day on site. Request the certificate, note the insurer and policy dates, and confirm the cover amount matches the scale of the job. For design or specification errors by an architect or surveyor, professional indemnity insurance is the relevant cover, and regulated professionals through the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) will usually hold it.

A written contract, such as a Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) form for larger works, sets out who insures what and reduces disputes if something goes wrong. If a contractor’s insurer refuses a valid claim, you can escalate a complaint about your own insurer to the Financial Ombudsman Service, though disputes with the builder’s insurer are a separate matter. Keeping your own home insurance in force throughout covers the perils the contractor’s policy does not, such as storm or fire unrelated to their work.

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How does the sum insured work during renovations?

The sum insured is the maximum your insurer will pay to rebuild your home, and renovations can push it higher than you expect. Extensions, new rooms and higher-specification finishes increase the cost to rebuild, so your buildings sum insured should be reviewed before and after the work to avoid being underinsured.

Underinsurance is a real risk during projects. If the declared rebuild value is too low, insurers can apply “average”, reducing a claim payout in proportion to the shortfall. A rebuild cost is not the same as the market value; it reflects materials, labour and professional fees to reconstruct the property. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) provides rebuild-cost guidance and signposts the RICS Building Cost Information Service for a more precise calculation.

During the works themselves, confirm whether materials on site, temporary structures and partially completed work count towards the sum insured or need separate specification. Once the project finishes, update the sum insured to reflect the extended or improved property, and reassess your contents value too if the renovation changes how much you keep in the home.

Practical steps before building work starts

The most reliable way to protect yourself during a renovation is to sort insurance before any work begins, not after a problem appears. Insurers assess the risk from the moment the project is agreed, so declaring late can leave a gap exactly when the home is most exposed to fire, flood or theft.

• Call your existing insurer with the project scope, cost, dates and occupancy status, and get any agreement in writing.
• Check whether the home will breach the unoccupied threshold, often 30 to 60 days, and arrange unoccupied home insurance if so.
• Confirm your contractor holds public liability insurance, commonly at least £1 million, and keep a copy of the certificate.
• Review your buildings sum insured to reflect the finished, extended property and avoid underinsurance.
• Compare specialist renovation or unoccupied policies if your current insurer declines or restricts cover.

If your insurer cannot cover the project, do not simply let the policy lapse. Comparing the whole market helps you find an insurer with appetite for renovation risk at a fair price. You can start by comparing combined buildings and contents home insurance across our panel, and read more on how renovation insurance protects your project. During colder months, also check conditions around keeping the heating on to avoid frozen-pipe damage while the home is quieter than usual.

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Information correct as of 21 October 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).