Public liability v contract works (insurance) for renovations

[hopetown]

Hi,

Getting some major (council approved) renovations done.

Builder (LBP) has public liability insurance.

Do I also need contract works insurance?

Any advice helpful.

Thank you.

[John the builder]

you need insurance for the building during the works including materials on side. If a new build then contractor arranges this but if alterations then insurance may fall to the owner as he already has cover in place. You need to inform the insurer and they usually charge a premium (extra risk unoccupied and risk of build?). No notification of work can mean voiding claim (if any) so be careful to notify.

Public Liability only covers third partys (the crane dropping a load on your neighbor for example)

[hopetown]

Thanks John. Much appreciated.

[heugumper]

Hi hopetown, I agree with John. Further, I have two recent comparable examples. In one case the builder ask me to get the construction insurance and in the other he said he had it but I needed to inform my "rental insurer" (alterations can be invasive and alter the risk profile associated with the policy. In both cases my existing insurer required me to take out a construction insurance, designed to dove-tail in with the existing policy and augment it. Seemed to hard to do this with my builders, and actually no cheaper.

Knowing the specific threshold for when additional, specialist cover was required was not simple, but if the work requires consent then it is certainly worth asking. If the tenant had to move out, maybe.

While it is expensive (dollars paid for dollars of cover) it was a small cost compared to the renovation.

Paul.