Policy Expert Home Insurance Explained

Policy Expert home insurance is a home cover product sold and administered by Policy Expert, offering up to £1.5m of buildings cover and up to £150k of contents cover according to its own product page dated 7 July 2026. Policy Expert acts as an intermediary: it sells and services the policy, while a separate FCA-authorised insurer underwrites the risk and pays valid claims.

If you own your home and want combined buildings and contents cover, the questions that matter most are what each level of cover includes, who actually underwrites the policy, how the excess and sum insured work, and whether the price is fair against the rest of the market. Free Price Compare compares home insurance from a panel of 42 providers, so you can see how any single quote stacks up before you commit.

Last updated: September 2026

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

Who underwrites Policy Expert policies?

Policy Expert is an intermediary that arranges and administers home insurance, while a separate FCA-authorised insurer underwrites the policy and pays valid claims. This matters because the underwriter, not the brand on the paperwork, decides whether a claim is covered and carries the financial liability behind your cover.

The underwriter for any home policy is named in your policy documents and Insurance Product Information Document (IPID), so read those before you buy. Knowing who underwrites your cover tells you which company’s claims decisions and financial strength stand behind you, and lets you check that firm is authorised on the Financial Conduct Authority register. UK home insurance is regulated by the FCA, and eligible policyholders are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if an insurer fails.

A useful habit when comparing any provider is to note both the seller and the underwriter. Two policies sold under different brands can share the same underwriter, and two policies from the same broker can be underwritten by different insurers. For a wider view of how to weigh providers, our guide to the best home insurance companies in the UK covers what to check beyond price.

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What does each level of home insurance cover include?

Home insurance cover levels split into three building blocks: buildings, contents, and combined buildings and contents. Buildings insurance covers the structure of your home, contents insurance covers your possessions, and combined cover bundles both into one policy, which is what most homeowners need.

Buildings cover protects the permanent structure, including walls, roof, floors, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, against events like fire, storm, flood and subsidence. Contents cover protects the things you would take with you if you moved, such as furniture, clothing, electronics and appliances. Add-ons often sit on top of the core policy, so read what is standard and what costs extra.

• Accidental damage covers one-off mishaps like spilling paint on a carpet or putting a foot through a ceiling; it is frequently an optional extra rather than standard.
• Personal possessions cover extends contents protection to items you take out of the home, such as a phone, laptop or jewellery.
• Home emergency cover helps with urgent problems like a burst pipe or boiler breakdown, usually up to a set callout limit.
• Legal expenses cover helps with the cost of certain disputes connected to your home.

Higher-tier products typically raise the single-item limits, include accidental damage as standard, and bundle more add-ons. When comparing tiers, look past the label and check the actual limits, exclusions and excesses, because a cheaper tier with the cover you need can be better value than a fuller tier you will never use. Our explainer on home and contents insurance breaks down what each element protects.

How much buildings and contents cover do you need?

Buildings cover should match the rebuild cost of your home, and contents cover should match the cost of replacing everything you own as new. These figures are the sum insured, and getting them wrong is one of the most common causes of underinsurance and reduced payouts.

Rebuild cost is not the same as market value. Buildings insurance is based on what it would cost to demolish and reconstruct your property, including materials, labour, professional fees and site clearance, which is often lower than the price you would sell for. Policy Expert advertises up to £1.5m of buildings cover on its product page dated 7 July 2026, which comfortably fits most standard UK homes; higher-value or non-standard properties may need a specialist. You can get a free rebuild estimate through the Building Cost Information Service calculator linked from many insurers.

For contents, walk through each room and total the replacement cost of furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen equipment and valuables. Policy Expert advertises up to £150k of contents cover. Watch the single-item limit, which caps how much the policy pays for any one item; expensive jewellery, bikes or gadgets often need to be listed separately. Underinsuring to cut the premium can trigger the average clause, where a claim is scaled down in proportion to the shortfall.

Make sure your home is properly insured

Get the rebuild cost and contents value right before you compare quotes.

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How does the home insurance excess work?

A home insurance excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim before the insurer pays the rest. If you have a £250 excess and make a £1,000 claim, you pay the first £250 and the insurer covers £750.

Most policies have two parts. The compulsory excess is fixed by the insurer and applies to every relevant claim. The voluntary excess is an amount you choose to add on top, and raising it usually lowers your premium because you are taking on more of the risk. Some claim types, such as subsidence, carry a separate, higher excess that can run into thousands of pounds.

Setting a voluntary excess you could not actually afford to pay is a false economy: if a claim happens, you have to fund the full excess before any payout. Pick a figure you could cover from savings without difficulty. When you compare home insurance quotes, check the total excess for the claims most likely to affect you, not just the headline premium.

What is not covered by home insurance?

Home insurance covers sudden, unexpected events, not wear and tear, poor maintenance or gradual damage. A worn-out boiler, a leaking roof left unrepaired, or damp that built up over years are generally excluded because insurance protects against unlikely accidents, not the running costs of a home.

Common exclusions across the market include general wear and tear, damage from lack of maintenance, faulty workmanship, pest damage, and losses while a property is left unoccupied beyond the policy limit (often 30 to 60 consecutive days). Cover for items in the garden, accidental damage and certain high-value possessions may only apply if you have bought the relevant add-on.

Read the exclusions section of the policy wording before you buy, because it defines the boundary of your cover. If your home is at flood risk, older, or lived in unusually, check those specific clauses carefully; our guides on whether home insurance covers flood damage and on insuring high-risk properties explain what to look for.

Check cover levels and exclusions across providers

How much does home insurance cost in 2026?

Average quoted UK home insurance premiums fell in the year to March 2026, reaching £254 and signalling a continued easing in prices. That points to a broad easing after earlier rises, though the rate of decline was slowing.

Prices vary sharply by region. Regional quoted premiums varied widely in March 2026, with London and the South East among the more expensive areas and the North East and East of England among the cheaper ones. Competitive pricing for combined buildings and contents cover softened slightly in Q2 2026.

Figures are indicative and may change. Your own price depends on your postcode, rebuild cost, contents value, property age, claims history and the excess you choose. The age of a property is a notable factor, which our guide on how house age affects quotes explains.

Can you cancel or switch home insurance providers?

Yes, you can cancel or switch home insurance, and you have a 14-day cooling-off period from the start of a new policy during which you can cancel and get a refund for unused cover, minus any charges for the days you were on risk. After that window you can still cancel, though the refund may be reduced and some insurers charge an administration fee.

Switching at renewal is usually the simplest route. When your renewal invitation arrives, compare it against fresh quotes rather than letting it auto-renew, because the renewal price is not always the most competitive available. There is no continuous-cover requirement for home insurance the way there is a no-claims history in motor cover, so switching at the right time rarely costs you anything.

Before you switch, make sure there is no gap in cover and that the new policy starts on the day the old one ends. Letting cover lapse can leave your home unprotected and can make future insurance harder to arrange; our guide on what happens if home insurance lapses sets out the risks.

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How do you make a claim and manage a policy?

Policy Expert says customers can manage policies online 24/7 and renew online, according to its website dated 11 May 2026, and its claims page lists a 24/7 claims line on 0330 0600 670, last updated 26 August 2026. Managing a home policy online usually means you can view documents, update details, add a valuable item and start a claim through a customer portal.

Whichever insurer you use, contact them as soon as possible after an incident, keep evidence such as photographs and receipts, and do not dispose of damaged items until the insurer confirms you can. Report theft or malicious damage to the police and get a crime reference number, as most policies require it. Policy Expert says it protects more than 1.6 million customers across home, motor and pet insurance, per its about-us page dated 27 August 2026.

If a claim is declined and you disagree, you can complain to the insurer first, and if you are still unhappy after eight weeks or receive a final response, you can escalate free of charge to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Keeping your sum insured and personal details accurate reduces the risk of a dispute later, so review your policy each year at renewal.

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Information correct as of 5 September 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).