During office hours, 9.00am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, please call our Claims department on 01224 848388 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Out with office hours your call will be answered by our manned messaging service. Your details will be passed to us and we will return your call at the earliest opportunity.

If you have an emergency out with office hours contact the emergency claim number in your policy booklet to receive advice on what to do next. If you cannot find the number you must deal with the situation as best you can in order to minimise damage and safeguard your tenant.

Cover for a property that has previously been affected by flooding or subsidence is likely to be provided by a specialist insurer rather than in the general market.  Insurance is particularly important if there is a mortgage lender to consider as they will want to ensure that your property is covered.

Before any new insurer would be prepared to offer terms, they will want to know when the damage last occurred and any previous history, the repairs that were undertaken and the cost if known, and any preventative measures that have since been put in place either by yourself, the previous owner or local authority.

It is likely that there will be a higher policy excess applied to that section of the policy both on the buildings and contents sections.

We may be able to provide cover for non UK residents for properties in the UK subject to circumstances. Please contact us on 01224 848111 if you require a quote.

An excess is the amount a policyholder is required to pay towards the cost of any claim. You may be asked to pay this amount to a company that has carried out repairs on behalf of your insurer, or alternatively the sum will be deducted from any settlement received. The excess payable will be the combined total of the Compulsory and Voluntary Excesses applying on the policy.

Compulsory Excess

A compulsory excess is the excess applied by the insurer, it cannot be reduced or removed from the policy. In addition to the standard compulsory excess, additional compulsory excesses may apply in certain circumstances, ie. if there is a history of flooding or for subsidence claims. In the event of a claim all excesses applying to the section of cover under which the claim is being made are added to any voluntary excess selected by the client.

Voluntary Excess

A voluntary excess is an additional amount the policyholder chooses to pay in the event of a claim in order to achieve a reduction in their premium. In the event of a claim the voluntary excess will be added to any compulsory excesses applying.

If you have recently purchased the property the Home Buyers Report should include a surveyor's recommendation on the sum required for insurance purposes. This can appear under the heading of insurance, rebuild or reinstatement values.

If you have owned the property for a number of years, general guidance on the rebuild cost can be found at http://abi.bcis.co.uk/. This guidance has been prepared by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (the ABI). By entering basic details about your property using the Rebuilding Cost Calculater you will be given an estimate of the current rebuild cost for your home. Please be aware that this is designed to give you a good indication of the rebuilding cost of your property. If you are in any doubt then you should approach a surveyor to provide you with a rebuild valuation specific to your property.

If the building is a listed property, or of unusual or non standard design or construction we would recommend that you always instruct a surveyor to undertake a survey and provide you with the current rebuild figure.