Everything you need to know about home insurance claims

Home insurance serves as a safety net, offering both peace of mind and financial protection for your most significant investment – your home.

When unforeseen events lead to damages or losses to your home or personal belongings, a home insurance claim becomes essential. Whether it’s damage from fires, thefts, flooding, water leaks, or accidents such as spilt paint or drilling through a pipe, your insurance policy exists to provide compensation.

Each insurer outlines the process for making a claim in their policy documentation. It’s crucial to familiarise yourself with these guidelines and promptly notify your insurer upon becoming aware of a potential claim. Even for seemingly minor damages, initiating a claim is recommended, as what appears straightforward may sometimes require more extensive repairs or replacements than initially anticipated.

The home insurance claims process: What happens when you make a claim

When you make an insurance claim it is important to be transparent and provide your insurer with all the facts, it is also useful to familiarise yourself with your policy terms and conditions, as they will guide you through the process. 

There are several steps to each insurance claim, this is a common chain of events based on our experience:

1 – Call the police, if necessary.

2 – Notify your insurer.

3 – Emergency contractors may be instructed to make your home safe.

4 – Find emergency accommodation, such as a hotel if your property is uninhabitable.

5 – Meet the Loss Adjuster who is appointed by your insurer to oversee the claim. It is important to prepare the information you will need for this meeting.

6 – The loss adjuster will submit their report to the insurer (read more about what goes into a Loss Adjuster’s report)

7 – The insurer will appoint a company to carry out the initial clean-up at the property.

8 – A Chartered Surveyor may be appointed to your claim. You can check their credentials on the RICS register.

9 – You may need to find suitable long-term accommodation.

10 – Damage to your contents should be listed and priced to submit to your insurer, evidence and receipts are useful. 

11 – Contents and buildings negotiations with the loss adjuster begin.

12 – Once the surveyor’s building works have been agreed contractors will tender to complete the work. You have the final say on who is appointed to complete the work.

13 – Once the contents claim has been agreed you can opt for cash settlement, replacement or a combination of both.

14 – You can move back into your home once the works have been completed and signed off.

15 – The final claims settlement is made and the claim file is closed.

If you are making a contents-only claim the process may be shorter without the need for loss adjusters or surveyors but this gives a good general picture of the home insurance claims process.

What you can – and can’t – claim for on home insurance

Home insurance policies are designed to provide financial protection against sudden and unexpected damage to your home and belongings. Your insurer typically covers the cost of repairs or replacements resulting from insured incidents, which may include damages caused by flooding, subsidence, fire, storms, burst water pipes, frozen pipes, water damage, and theft.

However, there are certain situations and events that home insurance typically does not cover, including; 

• Lack of maintenance 
• Breakdown of items
• Running a business from home
• Lodgers or paying guests
• Renovating your home

All of which usually require specialist insurance. 

More specifically insurers are likely to exclude the following from your home insurance cover; 

• Wear and tear – over time things get worn out, wear and tear is not insured because it is considered to be a gradual and inevitable process that occurs over time. Insurance is designed to protect against sudden and unexpected losses, not against the gradual deterioration of property, so if the sofa is looking tired it’s likely you’ll have to cover the cost of a new one yourself.
• Unoccupied property – usually your insurance will include a requirement to tell your insurer if the property is going to be unoccupied for more than 30 days. Empty properties are seen as higher risk than an occupied one because there is a greater risk of break-ins, vandalism and water leaks if you’re not there to keep an eye on the property.
• Accidental damage – spilling a tin of paint on the rug or tripping over the TV cable and pulling it onto the floor is unlikely to be covered as standard on your home insurance, although most insurers will allow you to buy the additional cover at a premium.
• Poor maintenance – as we’ve said above, if you don’t look after your home, there is a chance your insurer could decline a claim. Making sure slipped tiles on the roof are fixed and that door and window locks are in operation are important parts of maintaining your home and keeping it secure. If you have problems such as dampness and mould, these are considered maintenance issues and are usually excluded from your insurance policy.
• Damage caused by pets – damage caused by pets is usually excluded so this damage will have to be paid by you.
• Frost damage – because frost occurs every year it isn’t considered to be an insurable event, it is inevitable rather than unexpected so most insurers will exclude it from cover. 

Single Article Limit

It is also helpful to know if your policy has a single article limit. While your contents insurance will include a total sum insured, most insurance policies will have a single article limit, and this is the maximum amount the insurer will pay for one item. For example, it might be that you have a bike worth £750 or a handbag worth £300 and the insurers’ single article limit is £1,000. Items worth over this amount that are insured away from the home will usually be listed separately by your insurer, such as a watch or jewellery. 

Policy Excess

When you make a claim, you will be responsible for paying the policy excess, which is a pre-agreed amount that you pay the insurer in the event of a claim. Therefore, when you decide to make a claim it would need to be for an amount larger than the excess, for example, if your policy excess is £500 and during a recent storm a branch broke a window and it will cost £350 to repair then this falls below the policy excess and you would pay for the repairs yourself. This is in part to reduce the number of low-value claims but also as a fraud prevention mechanism.

Report all claims to your insurer. Even seemingly simple issues like leaks can hide bigger problems. Fixing a leak might only be the first step. Hidden damage to plaster, walls, and flooring can take more time and money to fix. Don’t risk missing something bigger – get an expert’s opinion!

Common questions about home insurance claims

Should I claim on my home insurance – how do I know it’ll be worth it?

If you have a claim that is only slightly higher than your policy excess, you may decide to pay for the repairs yourself rather than risk facing a long claims process and increased premiums at the next renewal.

However, it is worth considering if the damage being claimed for is more severe than you first think, it may look like a simple job of repairing a couple of roof tiles but actually, there could be more extensive damage to the roof structure, and water may have got into your home causing damp and damage to walls and ceilings, in which case you probably need the expertise of your insurer to make sure there is a full appraisal of the situation and a surveyor is asked to report on the full extent of the damage.


We would say that if there has been an accident or if someone has been injured then always notify your insurer as there may be legal implications which your insurer can assist you with.

Will my home insurance premium increase if I make a claim?

The short answer is yes, your premium will probably go up if you make a claim. Which can feel like you’re being penalised for using the insurance for its intended purpose. Usually, after a claim when the policy is due for renewal, the underwriter will consider if they want to provide cover and at what terms i.e. cover and price.

How soon can I claim on my home insurance after taking out a policy?

Once you’ve purchased a home insurance policy, you can generally make a claim at any point following the policy’s commencement date. However, it’s important to note that the official start date of your policy may vary from the day you made the insurance premium payment. Therefore, it’s advisable to verify the policy’s start date to ensure clarity regarding your coverage eligibility.

Is there a limit to how many times I can claim on home insurance?

There are no restrictions to the number of claims you can make on your home insurance within the policy year. However, it’s important to note that you can only claim for each specific loss once. Additionally, making multiple claims may impact your no-claims bonus or any discounts awarded for the year in which you haven’t made a claim.

When is the best time to make a home insurance claim?

The general rule when it comes to making a home insurance claim is the sooner the better. Ideally, your insurer will want to know about any incident that might result in a claim as soon as possible and they will want to speak to you before you arrange any repairs or replacements. There may be specific deadlines for reporting claims in your policy documents, so it is important to check these. If the claim involves injury to a third party, there could be legal implications so letting your insurer know as soon as possible will allow them to follow the legal process as well as their own claims process. For more information, you can read our article How much time do you have to file an insurance claim?

What paperwork will I need for a home insurance claim?

The paperwork you will need for a home insurance claim falls into three main categories. 

1. Insurance Policy Documents. The details of how to make an insurance claim are usually in your insurance policy documents, so having a physical and electronic copy of these documents is useful, if you are unable to access your property being able to get a copy of your documents online can save you time. Your insurer will ask for the policy number and other details to be able to log the claim. 
2. Evidence of the Damage/Loss. It is also important to record the damage caused by either taking photographs or videos. Don’t throw anything away until you have spoken to your insurer.
3. Receipts and Documents. You may be asked to send your insurer receipts or valuations for stolen or lost items. It is also important to have any record of work carried out to maintain the property as these can help if you need to make a claim. Lastly, if you have any repairs carried out or incur any costs in preventing the loss from getting worse, keep these as they may form part of your claim.

How long do home insurance claims take?

The duration of a home insurance claim can vary significantly, ranging from several months to even years, depending on various factors. These factors include the extent of the damage, the cooperation and responsiveness of all parties involved, and the complexities surrounding the settlement process. While certain claims, such as replacing a damaged carpet due to a spilt ink cartridge, can be swiftly resolved, others, like claims for fire or water damage, may take considerably longer. Delays in procuring necessary materials or skilled labourers can prolong the resolution of more complex claims.

What can I do if my home insurance claim isn’t accepted?

Discovering that your home insurance claim has been denied can be disheartening, particularly when you believe you’ve followed all the necessary steps correctly. You may feel hesitant about challenging your insurer on your own. Don’t worry, help is here and to get you started we’ve written a guide on what to do when your insurance claim is rejected.

Need help with a home insurance claim?

No matter what has caused the damage to your home, Morgan Clark will guide you through the insurance claim process, get you back into your property as quickly as possible and ensure you receive the full settlement you’re entitled to.

Morgan Clark is a Loss Assessing firm providing insurance claim management services to policyholders, working on behalf of the policyholder to get their claim settled and ensure they get the full settlement they are entitled to.

If you need help with an insurance claim, get in touch with our experienced team on 0808 258 1041 to find out how we can help you.