Extension Insurance
Extension insurance is crucial when carrying out an extension project. This is because the works bring an increased risk of loss or damage. It is not just your new works, materials, and those people on site that need covering, but you also have increased exposure in the form of the structure that’s being extended. That property is usually your home. Extension insurance (site insurance) is incredibly important as home insurance does not normally adequately cover the risks that are inherent in an extension project.
An extension project can often invalidate your home insuranceSome home insurance providers will withdraw cover during an extension. Home insurance does not cover things like a wall collapse during opening works, plant, theft or damage to neighbour’s property or workers on site. Managing the project? You need to think about the additional exposure that brings. If you have a party wall agreement with a neighbour – then you will be liable for rectifying any damage caused. Protek extension insurance is designed to cover the project and your home, so you will be adequately insured throughout the works. Cover is available for short periods and will include materials, plant, tools and equipment as well as public and employers’ liability. Your contractor’s public liability insurance will not adequately insure you. |
How extension insurance works
Extension insurance needs to cater to both the existing elements of the property that are being extended and all the new extension works that go into the process. The existing structure is usually your house. So, if the property collapses while creating a new opening, the extension insurance will cover it. It completely replaces the requirement for building insurance, which is not suitable. All the works, including any temporary works, materials, plant tools, and equipment need to be covered. Public liability and employers’ liability are automatically included to ensure you are adequately protected.
When choosing extension insurance, it needs to be in place from the moment you start works on the property and should continue to the point the project is completed and taken into full use.
Help choose the extension insurance cover you really need
Our staff has many years experience in helping people get suitable cover in place for their projects. We have designed our extension insurance product to be inherently flexible both in terms of product options and choice of cover duration while being comprehensive and competitive. If you are utilising a contractor to carry out the works, issues may arise as to who is contractually responsible for insuring the existing structure because the contractor’s insurance may not cover it. Extension Insurance can solve that issue quite simply. If you would like to discuss your requirements – call us on 0333 456 8030 today.
Why you should have Extension Insurance
Building sites are hazardous places of work – injury sustained by contractors, friends or visitors to site – whether invited or not – can become your responsibility and claims for injury are usually very large and can result in prosecution. Essentially it’s just not worth leaving your project uninsured. Protek’s extension insurance covers you for a range of eventualities.
Party Wall Agreements
Are you proposing to carry out work within three or six meters of a party or boundary wall? If so, you will invariably have to consider your liability under the Party Wall Act 1996. Your neighbor has the legal right to be compensated for any loss or damage you cause to their property. This means that if you have caused damage to the neighboring property inadvertently, public liability will not protect you as it is a foreseeable loss. To combat this, cover for your contractual liability can be included under Protek Extension Insurance.
Never run out of cover
Protek recognises that projects don’t always run to schedule. This is why we have flexible cover periods on offer. This gives you the ability to purchase short-term policies to extend cover as required effectively.
10-year structural warranty
This type of policy covers the new works and consequential damage to the property. Cover is for 10 years against defects in the design, workmanship, materials, and components causing major damage. For more information see our structural warranty page.
