Renovations are exciting, but they can also expose property owners to risks that standard household policies were never built to handle. Even with the right team in place, serious damage can occur to neighbouring buildings during works and sometimes fault is not clear or cannot be proven.
If your project involves high-risk structural work, the stakes rise quickly and the renovating homeowner is responsible for the costs of resolving damage to their neighbour’s property which can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, and possibly even more.
Broker partners need to be aware of this risk and add the appropriate cover to their armoury to ensure the clients have a vital safety net to protect against high-value, no-fault claims.
The only type of Liability insurance which covers this legal duty is Non-Negligent Liability insurance. Subject to policy exclusions, this cover is triggered where damage is caused by no fault of the contractor or project professionals. It is designed to respond when damage happens in the absence of negligence, filling a gap where public liability or professional indemnity cover may not apply.
That’s why we have launched Renovation Non-Neg Pro – a market-leading, specialist Non-Negligent Liability insurance solution – available on the wholesale market and built for complex, high-risk renovations and new builds, for private clients and commercial projects.
What makes Renovation Non-Neg Pro different?
Renovation Non-Neg Pro is a policy which can form part of the insurance solution to a property owner’s strict legal liability obligations under The Party Wall Act
The key features include:
- It is a JCT compliant cover for both domestic and commercial projects – covering for loss or damage to any property, including injury, arising from the Policy insured perils.
- It offers a wide risk appetite regardless of complexity, including flats, façade retentions and Central London basement projects, with no minimum or maximum contract value.
- Offering up to £5 million Limit of Indemnity, available on a primary or excess layer basis, with costs and expenses payable in addition. Many other types of Non-Negligent Liability insurance will instead aggregate the Limit and include costs and expenses within it.
- A policy duration up to 4 years, aligned to longer project programmes.
- Support from our in-house structural engineer and a Burland Scale assessment to help measure and understand the risk at enquiry stage. This is so cover is placed accurately from the start, avoiding unexpected non-disclosure issues in the event of claim.
- Policies can be written on a standalone basis.
Who is Renovation Non-Neg Pro for?
- Brokers placing cover on complex contract works and Party Wall-related exposures
- Contractors and project teams working under JCT terms who need a robust Non-Negligent Liability solution
- Homeowners and property owners who want confidence that a “no-fault” incident will not become a financial shock
Find the right broker
If you think your next project could benefit from non-negligent liability protection, use our Find a Broker tool to connect with a renovation insurance specialist.
At Renovation Underwriting, we are the industry leader in private client contract works insurance, committed to fully protecting all homes and properties undergoing renovations. We provide specialist cover to make sure you are fully insured for all the risks.
Need support?
Non-Negligent Liability insurance can be complex and this introduction is designed to arm you with the appropriate knowledge. If you want to deepen your understanding further, contact us to book in a chat with Len Albon, our Non-Neg Liability Consultant.
