Property insurance
Non-Standard Home Insurance
home cover for unusual construction, listed homes, subsidence or flood history, and past claims or refusals
Home cover for a property the standard market will not take on normal terms. Declaring everything relevant, and keeping to the conditions, matter as much as the cover itself.
- Thatch, timber and non-traditional builds
- Subsidence and flood history
- Past claims and refusals
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerNon-standard home insurance covers a home that mainstream insurers decline, load or will not quote online. A home can be non-standard because of how it is built, such as thatch or timber frame, its listed status, a history of subsidence or flooding, or the owner’s circumstances, such as past claims or a refusal. It still offers buildings, contents and liability cover. Enter your postcode and specialist UK providers can come back with quotes.
This page is about homes that standard insurers turn down or load. A typical brick and tile home is on our home insurance page, and a second home on holiday home insurance.
At a glance
Non-Standard Cover, in Brief
Six things that can make a home non-standard, before any of the detail.
- How it is built
- Thatch, timber frame, steel or concrete
- Its status
- Listed homes and period properties
- Where it sits
- Flood or subsidence history nearby
- Its history
- Past claims, subsidence or flooding
- Your circumstances
- Previous refusals or unspent convictions
- How it is used
- Empty spells, building work or a business at home
The basics
What Is Non-Standard Home Insurance?
Home insurance for a property, or a person, that mainstream insurers decline, load or will not quote online. It offers the usual cover, placed with specialist insurers.
Buildings
The structure and fixtures, for the rebuild figure.
Contents
Your belongings, where included.
Liability
Injury or damage to others caused by you or your home.
Alternative accommodation
Somewhere to stay if the home cannot be lived in.
Specialist terms
Conditions and excesses set for the risk.
Accidental damage
As an optional extra on some policies.
How it works
How Does Non-Standard Home Insurance Work?
You describe the home and anything unusual about it, specialist insurers price the risk, and the policy comes with terms you keep to.
You describe the home
Construction, roof, age, listing and location.
You explain what makes it non-standard
Such as subsidence, flooding, past claims or previous refusals.
You set the sums insured
A rebuild figure and contents. The method is in our guide to calculating a rebuild value.
Specialist insurers set terms
The price, the excess and any conditions, such as for a thatched roof or a monitored crack.
What it covers
What Does Non-Standard Home Insurance Cover?
The same sections as a standard home policy, such as buildings, contents and liability, priced for the risk and sometimes with restrictions.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings | Core | For the full rebuild figure |
| Contents | Core or optional | Check limits for valuables |
| Liability | Core | The limit is set on your schedule |
| Alternative accommodation | Core or optional | Check the limit |
| Subsidence | Depends on the risk | Can carry a higher excess or be restricted |
| Flood | Depends on the risk | Can carry a higher excess |
| Accidental damage | Optional | For buildings and contents |
Read the restrictions. The feature that makes a home non-standard is often where the higher excesses or limits sit, so check that section closely.
Exclusions
What Non-Standard Home Insurance Does Not Include
Cover can exclude undeclared features or history, losses where conditions were not kept, wear and tear, and restricted perils for that home.
Undeclared facts
Construction, claims or history the insurer was not told about.
Broken conditions
Such as chimney sweeping for a thatched roof.
Wear, tear and gradual damage
Damp, rot and slow leaks.
Restricted perils
Flood or subsidence where the policy limits them.
Undeclared building work
Major works can need declaring or separate cover.
Long empty periods
Beyond what the policy allows.
Why a home is non-standard
What Makes a Home Non-Standard?
One feature can take a home outside a standard insurer’s appetite. These come up again and again.
Unusual construction
Thatch, timber frame, steel, concrete or prefabricated.
Listed and period homes
Older homes needing traditional repairs.
Subsidence history
Past movement at the home or nearby.
Flood risk
A location or history of flooding.
Claims or refusals
Several past claims or a previous refusal of cover.
Unusual use
Empty spells, renovation, or a business run from home.
Having building work done? See our property under renovation insurance page.
Who it is for
Who Needs Non-Standard Home Insurance
Any homeowner a mainstream insurer has declined, loaded or will not quote online.
Owners of unusual homes
Thatched, timber-framed or concrete houses.
Listed home owners
Period homes needing like-for-like repairs.
After subsidence
Homes with a history of movement.
Homes at flood risk
Where cover is hard to find.
After a refusal
People declined or cancelled before.
With unspent convictions
Where a conviction affects cover.
Non-standard or standard
Non-Standard Cover vs Standard Home Insurance
The sections are much the same. The difference is who will write the risk, the price, and the conditions that come with it.
| Non-standard cover | Standard home insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes it | Specialist insurers | Mainstream insurers |
| Risk appetite | Accepts the unusual feature | Can decline or load |
| Terms | Specific conditions and excesses | Standard conditions |
| How to get it | Specialist quote | Often online |
Things can change. Once a problem is dealt with and a clean record builds up, a standard policy may become an option again at a later renewal.
Cost
What Non-Standard Home Insurance Is Priced On
The unusual feature itself, the home and its rebuild figure, the location, security, and your claims history. We do not print average premiums.
Why the unusual feature leads
The thing that makes the home non-standard can carry the most weight, whether that is the roof, the ground or the history.
Why the details matter too
Surveys, engineer’s reports and repair records can help specialist insurers price the home fairly.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- Rebuild figureThe buildingBase
- The unusual featureConstruction, ground or historyRate
- LocationCrime and flood exposureRate
- SecurityLocks and alarmsRate
- HistoryPast claims and refusalsAdjust
Fire safety
Especially for thatched and timber homes.
Security
Good locks and an alarm can help the terms.
Flood resilience
Defences and resilient repairs can help.
The details
The Disclosure Details That Decide a Non-Standard Claim
Non-standard claims can turn on whether everything relevant was declared and the conditions were kept. Four details come up again and again.
Declare everything relevant
Construction, past claims, subsidence, flooding and any previous refusals, even if they seem minor.
Keep reports and certificates
Surveys, engineer’s reports and repair guarantees help show the risk as it is now.
Keep to the conditions
Such as chimney sweeping for a thatched roof or monitoring a crack, with dated records.
Tell the insurer about changes
Building work, a new claim, empty spells or a business run from home.
Quote checklist
What You Will Be Asked for a Non-Standard Home Quote
Six things shape the quote: the home, what makes it non-standard, the location, the sums insured, security, and your history.
The home
Type, age, construction and roof.
What is unusual
The feature or history that makes it non-standard.
The location
Postcode, flood and subsidence history.
The sums insured
Rebuild figure and contents.
Security
Locks, alarm and fire safety.
Your history
Past claims, refusals and any unspent convictions.
Comparing
Checking Non-Standard Home Quotes Side by Side
Four areas decide whether a policy suits your home: the cover, the conditions, cost terms, and the insurer. The price is only one of them.
The cover
- Buildings and contents
- Alternative accommodation
- Liability
Conditions
- Conditions you can keep to
- Any restricted perils
- Survey requirements
Cost terms
- The standard excess
- Subsidence or flood excess
- Paying monthly or upfront
The insurer
- Appetite for your home
- Renewal terms
- How claims are handled
Check the excess for the unusual feature. It can be far higher than the standard one. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.
Cutting costs
How to Reduce the Cost of Non-Standard Home Insurance
The levers are full disclosure with evidence, better protections, an accurate rebuild figure, and the excess. We publish no savings figures.
Share the evidence
Reports and repair records help insurers price fairly.
Improve fire safety
Alarms and sweeping, especially for thatch.
Improve the security
Good locks and an alarm can help the terms.
Add flood resilience
Defences and resilient repairs can help.
Get the rebuild figure right
Too high can waste premium; too low can lead to a reduced claim.
Choose the excess deliberately
A higher excess is a lever, worth using only at a level you could absorb.
Glossary
Non-Standard Home Insurance Terms Explained
The words that come up most on a non-standard home schedule.
- Non-standard home
- A home mainstream insurers decline, load or will not quote online.
- Non-standard construction
- A home not built of brick or stone with a slate or tile roof.
- Subsidence
- Downward movement of the ground under a building.
- Loading
- An increase in premium for a higher risk.
- Disclosure
- Telling the insurer the facts that affect the risk.
- Alternative accommodation
- Somewhere to stay while the home cannot be lived in.
- Thatch
- A roof of straw or reed, with its own fire risk.
- Rebuild figure
- The cost of rebuilding the property, not its sale price.
- Unspent conviction
- A conviction not yet treated as spent, which may need declaring.
- Excess
- The part of each claim you pay yourself.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Compare Non-Standard Home Insurance with MyMoneyComparison.com?
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces property owners to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one property
Describe the property once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
Non-Standard Home Insurance FAQs
Answers on thatch, subsidence, flooding, refusals and disclosure.
What is non-standard home insurance?
Home insurance for a property, or a person, that mainstream insurers decline, load or will not quote online. It offers buildings, contents and liability cover, placed with specialist insurers who accept the risk.
What makes a home non-standard?
Common reasons include thatched or timber-framed construction, a listed building, subsidence or flood history, several past claims, a previous refusal of cover, or an unusual use such as long empty spells.
Can I insure a thatched home?
Often, yes, through specialist insurers. Thatch carries its own fire risk, so conditions can apply to chimneys, wood burners and electrical work. Keep records of sweeping and checks.
Can I get cover after subsidence?
Often, yes. Insurers can ask for an engineer’s report, details of any repairs and how long the home has been stable. Subsidence cover can carry a higher excess or be restricted.
What about a home at risk of flooding?
Specialist insurers can often cover it, though flood cover can carry a higher excess. Flood defences and resilient repairs at the home can help the terms.
I have been refused home insurance before. Can I still get cover?
Often, yes. Tell the insurer about the refusal and the reason. Specialist insurers look at the circumstances and what has changed since, rather than declining automatically.
Do unspent convictions affect home insurance?
They can. Insurers can ask about unspent convictions for anyone living at the home. Declare them if asked, as leaving them out could affect a claim or the policy itself.
Is non-standard home insurance more expensive?
It can be, because the risk is higher or harder to price. The cost depends on the feature that makes the home non-standard, the home itself and your history.
What should I declare?
Anything the insurer asks about, and anything that could affect the risk, such as construction, past claims, subsidence, flooding or refusals. If in doubt, declare it.
Does a listed home count as non-standard?
It can. Listed and period homes can need like-for-like repairs with traditional materials, which raises the rebuild figure. Specialist insurers are used to this and can set terms to match.
Can I insure a concrete or prefabricated home?
Often, yes, through specialist insurers. Some non-traditional construction types need more detail, such as surveys or repair records, before an insurer will quote, so have them ready.
What if I run a business from home?
Tell the insurer. Some home policies allow light office work, while other business use, such as visitors or stock at home, can need extra cover or a different policy.
Is alternative accommodation included?
Many policies include somewhere to stay if the home cannot be lived in after an insured event. Check the limit, as unusual homes can take longer to repair.
Can I move back to standard cover later?
Possibly. Once a problem is fixed and a clean record builds up, standard insurers may take the home on again at a later renewal, so it is worth checking each year.
How do I set the rebuild figure?
As the cost of rebuilding the home, not its sale price. Unusual construction and listed homes can cost more to rebuild, so a professional assessment helps.
How do I compare non-standard home quotes?
Look beyond the price to the cover, any restricted perils, the conditions, the excesses for the unusual feature, alternative accommodation and how the insurer handles renewals.
Ready when you are
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About this page
This page explains UK non-standard home insurance: what it covers, what it leaves out, and how disclosure and conditions decide a claim. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
How we approached this page
- Published UK non-standard home policy summaries
- Subsidence, flood and construction terms
- Financial Ombudsman material on property insurance complaints
Legal & Regulatory Information:
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