Buildings insurance
Buildings insurance covers the structure of your home and any permanent fixtures – including the walls, roof, floors, fitted kitchens, bathrooms, and garages.
If you’re a leaseholder or shared owner
Your home is covered by our Zurich Municipal buildings insurance policy.
The policy covers:
- fire, flood, vandalism, burglary, accidental damage
- permanent fixtures and fittings
- outbuildings and garages
Every claim includes an excess, which is the amount you must pay before the insurer contributes to repairs.
- The standard excess is £350 per claim
- For subsidence damage, it’s £1,000
Only repair costs above the excess are covered. For example, if repairs cost £500, you’ll pay £350 and the insurer will pay £150. Depending on how your claim is handled, this payment may be deducted from your settlement or paid directly to the approved repairer before work begins.
Excesses are standard across all UK insurance policies. They help keep premiums lower by avoiding small or low-value claims.
You’ll always need to pay the excess, even if the damage wasn’t your fault. The insurer cannot process your claim until this has been paid.
In some cases, you might recover your excess if someone else caused the damage. For example, if a neighbour leaves a bath running and it floods your home, or if a plumber’s poor work causes a leak, you may be able to reclaim the amount.
However, most leaks and plumbing issues happen accidentally. Recovery will depend on proving negligence in each situation.
How to make a claim:
- for incidents after 1 April 2021 – use our property claims portal with Zurich
- for all other claims – email our Insurance team
If your mortgage provider needs proof of cover, email us and we’ll send you a letter.
Download our summary of cover (PDF)
If you own your freehold
You’ll need to arrange your own buildings insurance.
If your home is damaged by a neighbour
Contact your buildings insurer first. If the damage is criminal, report it to the police and ask for a crime reference number.
Help and support
If you have any questions about buildings insurance, please message our Insurance team.