Most self-build projects finish without a claim. But when something does go wrong, a fire, a break-in, a collapsed wall or storm damage to half-finished works, what you do in the first few hours shapes how quickly and how fully the claim settles.
Here is what the process actually looks like on a Protek site insurance policy, and the practical things that make it smoother.
The first few hours
Before you think about paperwork, deal with the site.
- Make it safe. If there is a structural risk, keep people away and get it propped or fenced. If it is a fire or a serious injury, the emergency services come first.
- Stop further loss. Sheet over an open roof, board a broken window, move materials out of standing water. You are expected to take reasonable steps to limit the damage, and the cost of doing so is usually part of the claim.
- Report a theft to the police. You will need the crime reference number.
- Do not throw anything away. Damaged materials, burnt timber, the forced lock. It is evidence. Keep it until you are told you can dispose of it.
- Photograph everything. Wide shots and close-ups, from several angles, before you start clearing up. Photographs taken at the time are worth far more than a description written a week later.
Reporting the claim
Contact the claims team as soon as you reasonably can. Early notification genuinely helps, because decisions about reinstatement are easier to make while the damage is still in front of everyone.
- Phone: 0333 456 8030
- Email: claims@protekwarranty.co.uk
Have your policy number ready, along with the date and time of the incident, a plain description of what happened, what has been damaged or taken, and a rough idea of the value. You do not need exact figures at this stage.
How the claim progresses
The process runs in three stages.
- You report it. The claims team logs the incident and tells you what they need next.
- You provide the detail. Policy number, the circumstances, and the extent of the loss.
- You submit the claim form with your evidence. Photographs, receipts, invoices, quotations for repair, the crime reference if relevant.
On larger or more complex losses, a loss adjuster may be appointed to visit the site and assess the damage. That is routine, not a sign of a problem. Their job is to establish what happened and what it will cost to put right. Be open with them, walk them through the site, and give them the documents they ask for.
Once the loss is agreed, settlement follows, either as a payment to you or by arranging the reinstatement works, depending on the circumstances and the terms of your policy.
What slows a claim down
Almost every delay comes from one of five things.
- No photographs from the day. By the time anyone visits, the site has been cleared.
- No paperwork for what was on site. If you cannot show what the stolen materials cost, the value has to be argued rather than evidenced.
- Late reporting. Weeks after the event, the trail has gone cold.
- Clearing up too thoroughly. Understandable, but it removes the evidence.
- An understated build value. If the declared figure on the policy is well below the real cost of the works, the settlement can be reduced in proportion. Our guide to getting your build cost right explains how that works and why it matters.
What to do now, while nothing has gone wrong
The best preparation for a claim happens months before one.
- Keep a running record of deliveries, invoices and receipts, and store it somewhere other than the site.
- Photograph the site at the end of each significant stage. It takes two minutes and gives you a dated record of progress.
- Keep an inventory of plant, tools and equipment, with serial numbers where they exist.
- Review your declared build cost if the scope grows. Projects expand, and the policy should keep up.
- Know where your policy documents are, and what your cover actually includes. The policy summary sets out the main headings.
Getting the cover right in the first place
A claim is only ever as good as the policy behind it. Protek site insurance covers loss or damage including fire, theft, storm damage, public liability, plant tools and equipment, across the works in progress, the materials on site and the existing structure where there is one.
If you are not certain your project is properly covered, or the scope has changed since you took the policy out, talk to us on 0333 456 8030 before you need to find out the hard way. You can also read the full claims process or get a quote for a new project.
