What does buildings insurance cover?

If you own a home, buildings insurance can protect your home and potentially save you thousands if disaster strikes. Here’s a quick look at what’s covered, exclusions to watch out for and tips for getting the right cover.

What’s covered

• What is buildings insurance?
• What does buildings insurance cover?
• What does buildings insurance protect your home against?
• What’s not covered?
• Who needs buildings insurance?
• How much buildings cover do you need?
• Optional extras you can add to your policy
• FAQs

What is buildings insurance?

Buildings insurance is a type of home insurance that covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding the physical structure of your home if it is damaged or destroyed.

What does buildings insurance cover?

Buildings insurance protects the physical structure of your property, (think bricks and mortar, walls, floors and roof), against damage, loss or theft. It also covers permanent fixtures and fittings inside your home. Common examples include:

• Fitted kitchens / kitchen units

• Bathrooms & sanitary fixtures

• Built-in wardrobes

• Garages, sheds & outbuildings

• Conservatories

• Other structures such as boundary walls, patios, footpaths, drives, terraces, fences, gates and decking

In Ireland, buildings insurance is usually combined with contents insurance to form a comprehensive home insurance policy.

Tip: It's often more cost‑effective to purchase combined buildings and contents insurance, though this depends on the insurer and individual circumstances.

What does buildings insurance protect your home against?

Most building insurance policies typically protect against damage caused by:

• Fire, smoke, explosions, lightning strikes and earthquakes

• Storms and flooding

• Falling trees or branches

• Damage from aerials, satellite dishes, masts or security cameras falling

• Impact from vehicles, trains or aircraft, including objects falling from them

• Theft and attempted theft

• Riots, civil unrest and acts of vandalism

• Water and oil leaks, as well as oil spills

• Ground movement such as subsidence, landslip or ground heave

What’s not covered by building insurance?

While buildings insurance protects your home against major structural damage, standard policies often exclude certain types of damage and features. Most policies won't provide cover for:

• The contents of your home (you'll need contents insurance for this).

• General maintenance: damage caused by neglect, like blocked gutters leading to damp or failing to replace missing roof tiles.

• General wear and tear: gradual deterioration such as rusty pipes, rotting window frames or an ageing roof that starts leaking.

• Pest damage: such as termites weakening timber or rats chewing through wiring.

• Accidental damage: standard policies rarely include cover for accidents you cause (you'll need additional cover for this).

• Faulty workmanship: faulty design, defective materials or substandard DIY repairs are not covered under most policies.

Who needs buildings insurance?

Buildings insurance is designed for anyone who owns a property, including:

Homeowners

If you have a mortgage, you need buildings insurance. Most mortgage lenders make it a condition of the loan because the property acts as security.

Even if you own your home outright, having buildings insurance is strongly recommended. Without cover, you risk paying for repairs or rebuilding costs yourself.

Landlords

As a landlord, you are responsible for insuring the property itself. Standard home insurance won’t protect you if tenants cause damage, so landlords should choose a policy tailored for rental properties.

Tenants will still need their own contents insurance to protect their personal belongings from damage or theft.

Leaseholders

If you own a flat, check your lease agreement, as you may be required to take out a policy. In most cases, the freeholder arranges buildings insurance for the entire building, and charges you for it through service fees. Even so, you should always confirm what’s included so you’re not paying twice.

Self-build projects

Building your own home? You’ll typically need specialised "site insurance" or "buildings under construction" cover until the property is complete. This protects against structural damage and unexpected events during the build.

Even if you’re not legally required to have buildings insurance, consider the financial risk. Repairing or rebuilding a property can cost tens of thousands of euros, so cover provides peace of mind.

How much buildings cover do you need?

You should insure your home for the full cost of rebuilding it from the ground up. This amount is known as the sum insured.

It’s not the same as the price you paid for the property or its current market value. In most cases, the rebuild cost is lower than the market value, so choosing the right amount matters.

Choosing a higher rebuild cost than necessary means you’ll pay higher premiums but won’t receive more than the actual rebuild cost if you make a claim. On the other hand, underestimating could leave you underinsured and covering part of the expense yourself in the event of a claim.

Also read: How to avoid underinsuring your home

How to calculate the rebuild cost of your home: 3 top tips

1. Get a professional assessment: The best approach is to use an independent chartered surveyor to provide an accurate rebuild cost.

2. Use a rebuild calculator: The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland's (SCSI) house rebuild calculator is a great tool to use. This gives an estimate rather than a precise figure, but it’s a useful starting point.

   • The SCSI also provide a detailed House Rebuilding Guide offering guidelines to ensure you have the right insurance coverage.

3. Include extra costs: Don’t forget professional fees such as architects and solicitors, which can add significantly to the total cost.

Tip: You should regularly review and update your insurance policy, especially after making renovations to your home, as rebuild costs tend to rise over time.

Also read: How to avoid underinsuring your home

Optional extras you can add to your policy

If your policy doesn’t include certain features as standard, you can pay extra to add them. Common options include:

• Accidental damage (buildings): one of the most popular add-ons, covering unintentional damage to the structure, such as accidentally putting a foot through a ceiling.

• Home emergency cover: provides 24/7 access to tradespeople for urgent repairs such as burst pipes or boiler breakdowns.

• Fire brigade charges: pays local authority fees for fire service call-outs so you’re not left with an unexpected bill after an emergency.

• Trace and access: covers the cost of removing and replacing walls or floors to locate and fix hidden leaks.

• Legal expenses

• Alternative accommodation cover: covers the cost of temporary housing if your home becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event.

• Replacement locks and keys: covers the cost of changing locks and keys if they’re lost or stolen e.g. after a break-in.

• Breakage of fixed glass and sanitary fittings: includes repair or replacement of windows, skylights, washbasins, and baths if the damage is accidental.

• Damage to underground services: protects against accidental damage to underground pipes, cables, and essential services such as gas and electricity supplies (e.g. electrical failure)

Note: some of these add-ons may already be included in your policy as standard, so always check your policy limits carefully first.

This is a marketing article from Howden Insurance. The information in this guide is intended for general guidance only and is accurate at time of publication.