UNDERPINNED HOUSE INSURANCE
- No blanket refusals – every case examined individually.
- We cover customers that other companies won’t.
- Underwritten by AXA Insurance.
- Average quote time is only 10 minutes.
More information
insurance for an underpinned home
Owning an underpinned home – known in the insurance industry as a Previously Underpinned Property or PUP – can be a headache when it comes to buying home insurance. Mainstream insurance providers will either refuse to provide a quote or quote a very expensive price with a very long list of exclusions and conditions. This is because insurers use the fact of the property being underpinned as an indicator that subsidence might happen again.
When you apply for home insurance for your underpinned home with us, you’ll experience a breath of fresh air. Firstly, you enter all your details into the online quote form. Then one of our in-house underwriters will assess your property and the risk of repeat problems occurring and then offer you a tailored policy. This process typically takes only a couple of days.
TO GET AN ONLINE QUOTE, YOU’LL NEED TO KNOW :
- Facts about the building’s history including the year that the building was underpinned.
- Details of all claims made, including those relating to any subsidence events.
- What was the cause of the subsidence.
- If there has been any ground movement since the event.
- If you any documentation to confirm that there have been no problems since the previous ground movement event, then you will be requested to provide that.
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What’s covered by BUILDINGS & contents insurance?
Our home insurance covers insured events like:
- Fire and smoke
- Flood and storm
- Theft and attempted theft
- Escape of water or oil
- Malicious damage
- Subsidence, landslip, and heave
- Falling trees or branches
- Vehicle collisions or damage caused by emergency services
This includes the structure of your main home, outbuildings (such as summer houses and sheds), and permanent outdoor features like patios, driveways, paths and boundary walls. Your contents are also protected, including furniture, electronics, clothing and kitchenware — even those stored in garages, sheds or other outbuildings.
What we offer
Emergency help when you need it most
If you have a home emergency — such as a power outage, uncontrollable leak or a broken lock — our 24/7 Home Emergency cover is included as standard.
- We aim to get an engineer to you within four hours
- For serious water leaks, we’ll try to have a plumber with you in two hours
Response times may vary during extreme weather. Policy terms and claim limits apply.
5 star rated cover
Our insurance has received the highest rating from independent financial researchers, Moneyfacts.
Repair guarantee
We guarantee any buildings work we arrange after a claim for two years. Contents repairs are guaranteed for one year.
New for old
Where we replace a damaged or stolen item, we’ll do our best to match the original — on a ‘new for old’ basis. If that’s not possible, we’ll offer a suitable alternative or a full cash settlement.
Legal support when you need it
Family Legal Protection is included as standard. You’ll have access to expert telephone legal advice on personal matters under the laws of the UK and most of Europe.
What isn’t covered?
There are some things we can’t cover, including:
Gradual damage, wear and tear, or issues you knew about but didn’t fix
Faulty design, construction, or workmanship.
Damage caused by poor maintenance or neglect
Items you don’t own or aren’t legally responsible for
Items stolen from unoccupied vehicles
Damage caused by pets.
Mechanical or electrical breakdown
Keeping your home and belongings in good condition is essential. If damage happens because of neglect or poor maintenance, your claim may be declined, and your policy could be cancelled.
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*Survey data of 1,089 buying customers from 30th October – 12th November 2024
buildings & Contents Insurance Cover Levels
Our home insurance is designed to protect your home against insured events such as fire, storm, flood, escape of water, theft, malicious damage, subsidence, landslip or heave.
Buildings cover
Protects the main structure of your home, including attached garages and conservatories, and permanent outdoor features such as patios, driveways and boundary walls.
up to £1 million
(more cover available if you need it)
Contents cover
Protects your household contents — including furniture, clothing, appliances, gadgets and valuables — against events like fire, flood and theft. Cover is provided on a new for old basis.
from £25,000
Alternative accommodation
We’ll help cover the cost of temporary accommodation for you and your pets if your home becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event. If you stay with friends or family instead, we’ll cover your extra living costs.
up to £75,000 (Buildings)
up to £10,000 (Contents)
Home emergency
Covers sudden, unexpected emergencies — like an uncontrollable leak — that require immediate action to prevent damage or make your home secure. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
up to £500
Family legal protection
Covers legal costs for certain insured events. There must be a reasonable chance of success, and the incident must happen during your policy term. Two levels of cover are available, for different types of insured loss.
up to £25,000
Trace and access
We’ll pay to detect the source of a water or oil leak, and cover the cost of reinstating floors, walls or paths that were disturbed in the process.
up to £10,000
Outbuildings cover
Covers detached garages, greenhouses, sheds, summerhouses and other outbuildings within your boundary or any communal area you’re legally responsible for.
from £20,000
Liability cover
Covers your legal liability for accidental death, injury or illness to someone else, or damage to their property.
up to £5 million
Personal possessions
Covers items you wear, carry or use outside the home (e.g. clothing, bags and sports equipment).
Optional
Gadgets, bikes and valuables away from the home
Optional cover for mobile phones, laptops, tablets, watches, jewellery, hearing aids and other high-risk items you take out of your home.
Optional
Accidental damage
Optional cover for unexpected mishaps around the home — such as breakages, spillages or damage caused by you, your guests or wild animals. Two levels of cover are available.
Optional
New Customer?
If you’re deciding on whether to buy home insurance with us, you can use our latest policy booklets as a guide.
Existing Customer?
Find answers to some of your questions here. Your latest policy documents are also available to view and download.
Your Questions Answered
Homeprotect will almost certainly be able to insure an underpinned house – but it’s worth getting a quote beforehand. Before contacting us to get a quote, make sure you know:
- Facts about the building’s history including the year that the building was underpinned.
- Details of all claims made, including any relating to subsidence events.
- What the cause of the subsidence was.
- If there has been any ground movement since the event.
- Whether there are any documents confirming that there have been no problems since the previous ground movement event.
The cost of underpinning a house varies considerably depending on the size of the property and the underpinning technique used. A suitably qualified structural engineer will be able to give you an indicative price for the cost of underpinning foundations.
If you don’t disclose major building works that you know have been carried out to your property then you could be taken to court later for misrepresentation.
Additional Cover Options
Accidental Damage
The Homeprotect policy includes the option of Basic Accidental Damage, which covers electrical home entertainment equipment (such as desktop computers and monitors, DVD and Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, home cinema systems, sound systems and TVs) up to £1,500 per claim. An upgrade …
Legal expenses cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Legal Expenses cover which provides up to £25,000 for legal fees you may face for disputes associated with your home; such as ownership of the insured property; and the sale or purchase of the insured property. You can upgrade to Full Legal Expenses cover.
Home emergency cover
The insurance policy includes Basic Home Emergency cover which provides cover for common home emergencies including burst pipes; failure of the domestic power supply (gas or electricity); and removal of pests or vermin. You can upgrade to Full Home Emergency to include cover for roof …
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Our insurance experts are on hand if you have any questions.