Barn conversion insurance can be taken out before or after you have converted the building, helping you to protect it for years to come. Barns are specialist buildings that require a particular type of insurance cover and thanks to our experience in this area, Horner Blakey can ensure you find the right policy for your property.
Barn conversion insurance provides specialist insurance for barns that have been converted into residential homes, covering risks such as fire, storm damage, subsidence and liability that need to be assessed differently in a converted rural building. Barn conversions are a non-standard construction risk because the structure is being adapted for day-to-day living in a space originally built for storage or livestock. That means the construction materials and methods often differ from conventional homes, and non-standard construction materials can increase underwriting complexity and premium levels as well as limit the appetite of standard insurers.
Whether you already own a converted barn or are planning a conversion, understanding how barn conversion insurance works is important if you want the right protection in place from the outset.
How the original barn was constructed and the type of conversion carried out will have a significant impact on the rates you pay, and insurers will usually ask for survey or specification documentation to account for the construction before offering indicative terms.
There are three main types of barn conversion in the UK:
Timber frames and unusual roofs can increase underwriting risk, particularly where steel frames or thatched roofs are involved.
Your survey documents will tell you which kind of barn conversion you have, or will have, once construction has been completed, helping an insurer assess the property properly and insure it correctly. Like buildings insurance, barn conversion insurance is not a legal requirement, although should an unexpected event happen, such as a flood, fire or storm damage, you will have to pay for repairs out of your own pocket.
Whatever insurance you decide to take out, before proceeding with any insurance agreement, always read the full details of your individual policy as terms and conditions will apply.
When barn conversion insurance is taken out it typically offers cover for:
Your converted barn can be protected under a specialist barn conversion insurance policy against a wide range of risks, such as fire and storm damage. Buildings cover can reach £1 million, and converted barns often need higher limits because rebuilding costs are higher than for standard homes. Alternative accommodation cover may also be available, with limits up to £75,000 in some cases.
Accidental damage and malicious damage are also common insured events, and the available level of insured loss cover should be reviewed carefully. Subsidence and flooding cover may also be available, depending on the property history.
Where the converted barn is listed or includes heritage features, repair works may need approved methods and materials, so heritage property cover can be important.
This type of insurance can provide cover for compensation and for associated legal defence costs should a legal claim be made against your property, with public liability exposure particularly important for converted barns with larger grounds, drives or outbuildings. It can also include legal expenses and legal protection to help meet related legal costs where insured events arise. [GS1]
Every barn conversion is unique, which is why our team can help you build a tailored insurance package based on the needs of your building.
Due to its unique design and construction, your barn should be placed through a broker who can access the specialist insurance market for barn conversions and has helped with similar projects in the past.
There are several features that need to be considered, such as the beamed ceilings, wooden floors, insulation, security arrangements and the building materials used, which can all directly affect your insurance risk and premium.
Major structure alterations will be required during the conversion process for it to meet Building Regulation requirements. This often means that costs could be more expensive than the cost of rebuilding from new. Because of this, it is often advised that you are insured at the halfway point between the cost of building as new and the cost of conversion. If the project is still underway, DIY renovations or ongoing conversion projects may require site-specific cover for materials and liabilities.
Claims should be notified promptly and, where policy terms require it, within 30 days of the incident.
Horner Blakey can advise you on the type of policy you will need for a barn conversion, helping clients who prefer a tailored, cost effective solution rather than a standard policy. Get in touch.
There are three routes, and which applies depends on the stage you are at. A specialist non-standard household policy covers a finished conversion. A renovation or works-in-progress policy covers the building while the conversion is under way. Where the barn is used for business, commercial cover is needed alongside or instead of household cover.
Household insurance stops where business use begins, and most standard policies exclude it entirely. If you run a holiday let, workshop, studio, office or equestrian operation from the barn, you will need commercial cover for the business alongside the buildings policy, including public liability and cover for stock, equipment or paying guests.
Yes, through a renovation or works-in-progress policy. It covers the structure while it is unfinished, along with materials on site, contract works and public liability during the build, and periods when the property is unoccupied. Once the conversion is complete, the policy needs to switch to standard buildings cover on the finished value.
Premiums are based on the rebuild cost of the barn rather than its market value, and on a converted barn the two are often very different. Construction type, thatch, listed status, location, flood exposure and any business use all affect the price. We negotiate with insurers who understand non-standard construction rather than those who decline it.
In most cases, yes. A converted barn is non-standard construction, and many standard household insurers will either decline it or insure it on terms that leave you underinsured. Specialist insurers understand timber frame, stone and exposed structural beams, and will rate the property properly rather than treating it as an ordinary house.
Buildings cover on a converted barn insures the structure, its permanent fixtures and usually its outbuildings, on an all risks basis including accidental damage alongside fire and water damage. Cover for flood and subsidence can normally be arranged where the property is exposed. Alternative accommodation is included if the barn becomes uninhabitable.
Rebuild cost is what it would take to reconstruct the barn as it stands, using comparable materials and methods. On a converted barn this often exceeds the market value, because reclaimed stone, oak framing and specialist trades cost more than modern construction. A professional reinstatement valuation is the reliable way to establish the figure.
Not usually. A barn conversion is a change of use to an existing structure rather than a new build, which is why it falls outside standard new build warranties and why insurers treat it as non-standard construction. It still has to meet Building Regulations, and a structural warranty is normally arranged separately.
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