Claims

What would you like to look for?

Reasons you should choose
Hiscox Renovation &
Extension cover

 

Remain in control of your insurance policy

  • Remaining in control of your insurance whilst putting your property (and often largest asset) through its riskiest period gives the client ultimate peace of mind whilst ensuring they stay compliant with their mortgage contract by keeping full perils covered throughout.

  • Relying on a contractors insurance policy removes all control over the claims process and allows for complications/uncertainty around specific exclusions of cover. Further to this the disclosure of the project/type of work being undertaken is left down to the contractor, which can lead to a tricky scenario if an important element is omitted.

 

 

Cover is for the buildings and works under one policy

  • Hiscox prides itself on claims handling and taking care of clients who suffer a loss. Having separate insurance policies for works and the existing structure leads to gaps in cover and potential difficulties during the claims handling procedure with two loss adjustors being involved.

 

 

Our cover is broad with large inner limits

  • £10m PL
  • Unlimited alternative accommodation up to three years.

 

 

Flexible underwriting

  • Hiscox can continue to offer cover for the insured’s contents, fine art and valuables whilst works are ongoing. Further to this we can also look after an insured’s wider portfolio of additional properties, motor and overseas holiday homes.

 

 

Post-works benefits

  • Hiscox offers a free of charge survey to all contract works customers post-works. This can be a desktop survey with a phone call to the insured or a full on site survey, ensuring the client avoids being in a position of underinsurance post-project.

 

 

Looked after by a HNW provider for the duration, with future risk management in mind

  • Remaining on cover with a HNW provider whilst works are ongoing is very important. Should a client suffer losses such as subsidence during a works project, this could be very difficult to place elsewhere once works have finished.
  • Further to this, Hiscox will underwrite the future risk where possible and work with clients to highlight alarm and WLD requirements ahead of the works being undertaken. We do this to ensure a smooth process post-works and that a client can use the opportune moment, whilst works are ongoing, to make improvements to their property that may be required by insurers in the future.

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Claims examples where clients were not covered by Hiscox

  • A rather unfortunate claim example that I’m aware of it one where the insured suffered a fire loss, c. £600k total damage, and hadn’t advised their insurer of the contract works. They were instead relying on the contractors’ insurance for the works and hadn’t realised the impact of this on their home insurance policy.
  • At the point of the loss, the client discovered that the contractors insurance policy did not cover them for underpinning works and the SoF stated that no underpinning works would be carried out by the contractor. Unfortunately in this example, the contractor was carrying out underpinning works and therefore there was no cover for this project.
  • Examples like this highlight the importance of remaining in control of your insurance during works. The client was left with £600k of damage and a mortgage to continue paying, on a house with significantly reduced value.

 

 

Claims examples where clients were covered by Hiscox

 

Example 1

  • On the final day of cover, a clients representatives received the keys from the contractor.
  • The insured had been carrying out a partial refurbishment of the home, including the design an installation of a new platform lift, glazing and landings, and a layout change of the master suite.
  • The cost of the project was £1.1m and had been carried out of the last 12 months.
  • On opening the door of the property they heard the fire alarm and saw water flowing from the ceiling and that the house was flooded and fire curtains down.
  • The property was a substantial 3 storey, £5.2m London townhouse.
  • Having called the contractor who returned that day, the contractor drained 100mm of water from swimming pool as according to the Contractor the water level had risen by 40mm due to the leak.
  • The cause of the leak was later identified as a fault ‘douche hose’ connected to an upper floor shower which had been installed as part of the works.
  • Total cost of the claim was £900k (and would have been more if alternative accommodation was required)

 

 

Example 2

  • The insured property is a substantial detached dwelling with a £6m rebuild.
  • Our client was spending £2m extending the property, increasing garage size, a garden room and an extension of the kitchen. The project had been ongoing for 14 months at the time of the loss.
  • In November 2023 a fire occurred in the insured’s plant room. The property was undergoing a process of extension and refurbishment at the time of the fire, which had prior to the fire been due to complete by 15th December 2023. Works had been ongoing on site on the 29th November including in the plant room. The plant room had been by the electrical sub-contractor prior to the fire (who had been working on installation of lighting control modules).
  • Around 12.30 a fire was noted by the site manager in the plant room and whilst attempts were made to tackle the blaze using extinguishers it could not be extinguished. The plant room was secured and the fire brigade attended. The blaze was largely contained to the plant room, but fire, heat and smoke damage occurred within the plant room and the adjacent pool room with further smoke damage elsewhere within the property.
  • The plant room contained extensive equipment and infrastructure for several systems such as the integral multi-room audio-visual, security, fire, heating, CCTV and general electrical cabling most of which was considered to be beyond restoration due to the impact of fire, heat and/or smoke. This has been the most significant driver of cost.
  • The loss occurred shortly before the property was due to be furnished which did limit the loss.
  • Total cost of the claim was £375k.