Non-Standard Home Insurance
Cover for timber-framed, steel-framed, prefabricated, listed and flat-roofed properties, arranged by an independent broker who understands them.
If a comparison site has declined your home, quoted an eye-watering premium or simply had no option matching your construction type, it isn’t because your property is uninsurable. It’s because automated systems only price standard brick-and-tile homes. We place these risks with specialist insurers who assess each property properly.
What Is a Non-Standard Property?
A property is classed as non-standard when it is built with materials other than brick or stone walls with a tile or slate roof, or when it has features that insurers treat as higher risk. Standard household policies are written around a narrow definition of “typical” construction, and anything outside it is either refused or heavily loaded.
That definition catches far more homes than most owners expect, including many attractive, well-built and perfectly sound properties. Being non-standard says nothing about the quality of your home. It simply means it needs an insurer who will look at it individually rather than through a drop-down menu.
Construction and features we regularly insure
- Timber-framed houses, including modern engineered and older post-war frames
- Steel-framed and concrete-framed properties
- Prefabricated and PRC homes, including Airey, Cornish, Woolaway and Wates types
- Roofs, cob, clay lump and stone construction
- Flat roofs, particularly where they cover more than 25% of the total roof area
- Shingle, felt, live and green roofs
- Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings
- Homes with a history of subsidence, heave or landslip, whether or not underpinned
- Properties in flood-risk areas or with previous flood claims
- Converted barns, chapels, schools, mills and other change-of-use buildings
- Properties with asbestos, single-skin walls or non-traditional cladding
- Homes with a high rebuild cost relative to market value
Products and services available
Cover by Property Type
Timber-Framed House Insurance
Timber frame is one of the most common reasons a quote is refused online, largely because of the perceived fire risk during and after construction. In practice, most modern timber-framed homes are built to a high standard and are readily insurable through specialist markets. We’ll need to know the frame type, the external cladding and the year of build.
Steel-Framed and Concrete Property Insurance
Steel and concrete-framed homes, including many 1940s to 1960s local authority builds, often need cover that accounts for potential corrosion or carbonation of the structure. Where remedial or repair work has been carried out, we can present that evidence to insurers who will take it into account.
Prefabricated and PRC Home Insurance
Precast reinforced concrete homes such as Airey, Cornish, Woolaway, Wates and Unity types are almost always declined by mainstream insurers, and cover can be harder still where the property is unrepaired or lacks a PRC certificate. We work with insurers who write these risks and will tell you honestly what documentation improves your position.
Listed Building Insurance
Listed status obliges you to repair like for like, using original materials and traditional methods, with consent required for alterations. That pushes reinstatement costs well above the market value of the property. We arrange cover with insurers experienced in listed and period homes, and can help you approach a suitable rebuild valuation.
Flat Roof and Non-Standard Roof Insurance
Most insurers set a threshold, commonly 25%, beyond which flat roof coverage becomes non-standard, because of the higher risk of water ingress. We’ll ask about the roof covering, its age and when it was last replaced or inspected, all of which materially affect the terms available.
Flood-Risk Property Insurance
Where a property sits near a watercourse or has flooded before, we will look at cover through specialist insurers and, where the property qualifies, through the Flood Re scheme. Any flood resilience measures you’ve installed are worth telling us about, as they can influence both availability and price.
Why Comparison Sites Decline Non-Standard Homes
Comparison sites and direct insurers operate on automated underwriting. Your answers are matched against a fixed rule set, and if a single response falls outside it the quote is refused within seconds. There is no one to explain that the flat roof was replaced two years ago, or that the subsidence was resolved in 1998 and the property has been stable ever since.
There’s also a quieter risk. Some owners find a policy online by selecting the closest available option rather than the accurate one, describing a timber-framed home as standard construction, for instance. The premium looks fine until a claim is made, at which point the insurer may reduce the settlement or void the policy entirely for misrepresentation. Being insured correctly matters far more than being insured cheaply.
A specialist broker presents your property properly: the construction, the remedial work, the surveys, the maintenance history. Insurers who underwrite these risks individually can then make a fair assessment.
What a Non-Standard Home Insurance Policy Covers
Cover is structured much like a standard household policy, but underwritten by insurers willing to accept your property’s characteristics and usually with wordings better suited to it.
Buildings cover
The structure, permanent fixtures and fittings, outbuildings, boundary walls, driveways and underground services, insured for the full cost of rebuilding.
Contents cover
Your possessions, with the option to increase single-item limits for jewellery, art, antiques and collections, and to extend cover away from the home.
Alternative accommodation
The cost of somewhere to live while your home is repaired. This limit deserves close attention on non-standard properties, because specialist repairs to thatch, listed fabric or PRC construction take considerably longer than conventional building work.
Liability and legal expenses
Protection if someone is injured on your property or their belongings are damaged, plus optional legal expenses cover.
Optional extensions
Accidental damage, home emergency assistance, personal possessions away from home, and cover for periods when the property is unoccupied.
Getting Your Sum Insured Right
Underinsurance is the most common problem we see on non-standard homes. Owners tend to insure for something close to market value, but insurance responds to reinstatement cost, what it would take to rebuild the property as it stands, using appropriate materials and methods, plus demolition, site clearance and professional fees.
For a listed property, that figure can be two or three times the sale price. Where a sum insured is inadequate, insurers may apply average and settle claims proportionally, so a shortfall of a third on the valuation can mean a third less paid on every claim, not only total losses. We can help you commission a proper reinstatement cost assessment where one is needed.
We can help you
How to Arrange Cover With Us
1. Tell us about the property
Call or send us a few details: construction type, roof covering and age, listed status, any subsidence or flood history, and the current sum insured if you have one.
2. We approach the right insurers
Rather than sending your details everywhere, we go to the specialist markets most likely to write your particular risk, and we tell you if a survey or engineer’s report would strengthen the case.
3. We explain the options
You’ll get a clear comparison of what’s available, including exclusions and any conditions attached to the roof, the thatch or previous remedial work, and our recommendation, with reasoning.
4. We’re here afterwards
Your named account manager handles renewals, mid-term changes and, if it comes to it, supports you through the claim.
Why Choose Specialist Insurance Solutions
We’ve been arranging insurance since 1999 and are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 305502. Our advisers came into broking from underwriting, with more than 25 years spent inside specialist insurers deciding which risks to accept and on what terms, which is precisely why we know how to present an unusual property well.
Being independent, we aren’t tied to any one insurer. You get a named adviser rather than a call centre, plain-English explanations of what your policy will and won’t do, and no charge for our advice, we’re remunerated by the insurer. Our clients rate us 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Non-Standard Property Insurance Across the UK
Our office is in Eastleigh, Hampshire (SO50 9PD), close to Southampton and within easy reach of Winchester, Romsey, Fareham and Portsmouth. We’re familiar with the period and timber-framed properties common across the New Forest, the South Downs and rural Hampshire.
We also arrange cover for owners throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most enquiries are handled by phone or email, so wherever your property is, we can help.
- 02380 736266
- Email:info@sis-ltd.co.uk
- Based in Eastleigh SO50 9PD
Frequently Asked Questions
What is non-standard property construction?
A property is usually classed as non-standard when it is built with materials other than standard brick, tile and slate, or has features insurers view as higher risk. This includes timber-framed and steel-framed houses, pre-fabricated (‘prefab’) properties, shingle roofs, flat roofs covering more than around 25% of the roof area, listed buildings, and homes with a history of subsidence or flooding.
My property has a history of subsidence or flooding – can you still help?
Yes. A previous history of subsidence or flooding often leads to a decline online, but we work with specialist insurers who assess these risks individually and can arrange suitable protection.
Why can’t I get cover for my property online?
Online and comparison-site policies are priced for ‘standard’ homes. Anything outside that – unusual construction, a listed status, a flat or live roof, or a claims history – typically falls outside their criteria, which is why these properties are often declined or heavily loaded. We specialise in exactly these cases.
Do you cover listed buildings?
Yes. Listed buildings need cover that reflects the higher rebuild costs and the requirement to repair using like-for-like materials and methods. We arrange policies with insurers experienced in listed and period properties.
How do I get a quote for a non-standard home?
Call 023 8073 6266 or contact us with a few details about your property – its construction, roof type, age and any claims history – and we’ll approach suitable insurers on your behalf.