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The cost of insuring a listed building can vary widely depending on several factors. For example, a listed property with a thatch roof construction will be rated differently from a high-value home insurance listed property, and both of these will be rated differently from a mid-terraced listed property with a modest rebuild value.
This listed building cost calculator offers guidance on what to expect cost-wise for all three categories.
The cost of insuring a high-value listed building
Visit our high-value home insurance cost calculator to get your cost. Also visit how to keep your premium down article. Repairing a listed building incurs higher costs due to the specialism of craft required alongside the uniqueness of materials needed and these costs are usually includes within high-value home insurance rates.
The cost of insuring a modest listed building
Listed and heritage buildings, especially those with historical or architectural significance, often require specialised insurance coverage, which can cost more than the average household insurance policy. Protecting the past is an important responsibility. You can read more about the significance of each grading in our listed building guide, alongside a specific look at Grade II listed buildings and listed categories for Scotland.
Modest refers to listed buildings with a rebuild value of up to £1mil. There are two types of insurance products on the market for such properties, bedroom rated and sums insured rated:
- A bedroom-rated product will cover the building’s rebuild value up to a set amount, usually £1mil (sometimes £1.5mil). The insurance premium is not driven by the rebuild value but by the number of bedrooms, postcode, occupation and other risk factors. Some bedroom-rated products, like Aviva Your House, will cover listed buildings and offer incredibly low premiums for properties that fit their criteria.
- As confirmed by the client, a sum insured-rated product will cover the buildings up to the specified rebuild value. The magic formula above is an example of a rebuild value product. These products usually cost more than bedroom-rated ones.
Most modestly sized listed buildings qualify for bedroom-rated products. The premiums for these listed building products are incredibly difficult to offer guidance on. For example, we have clients paying premiums circa £600 (including IPT) for £900,000 buildings cover and £125,000 general contents cover! Your best bet is to contact your broker and get a quote should your listed building fit into this category.
The cost of insuring a thatch listed building
The thatch insurance market needs a shake up. With only a handful of products available for thatch owners, terms can be restrictive and premiums high. As seen in a guide to insuring thatch properties, there are many risk factors taken into consideration before an insurer will provide a final premium. That said, the magic formula above for insuring a high value listed building will be a good reference point for consideration but you must contact a specialist thatch insurance broker, like us, to get an accurate quotation.
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Stanhope directly.
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