If your home is a thatched cottage, a listed building or anything other than standard brick and tile, insuring it can be more complicated and more expensive. This guide explains what counts as a non-standard property, why these homes cost more to insure, and how to get the right cover for listed, thatched and other unusual buildings.
What non-standard construction means
Most UK homes are of standard construction, meaning walls of brick or stone and a roof of slate or tile. A non-standard property is anything that differs from this. Insurers care about construction because it affects how likely the home is to be damaged and how much it costs to repair. A non-standard home is not necessarily a problem to insure, but it usually needs more thought and often a specialist insurer rather than a mainstream one.
Examples of non-standard homes
Non-standard covers a wide range of properties. It includes timber-framed houses, thatched cottages, homes with flat roofs, steel or concrete-framed buildings, cob and flint construction, converted barns and churches, and listed buildings of all kinds. Some are non-standard because of age and heritage, others because of unusual materials or methods. What they have in common is that a standard policy priced for a typical brick home may not fit them well, either in price or in the cover provided.
Why they cost more to insure
Non-standard homes often cost more to insure for a few reasons. Specialist materials and skilled craftspeople can make repairs more expensive. Some constructions carry higher risks, such as the fire risk associated with thatch. Rebuild costs can be much higher than for a standard home, particularly for listed buildings that must be restored using traditional methods. All of this feeds into the premium, which is why an accurate rebuild figure matters even more than usual, as our guide to buildings insurance explains.
Listed buildings
Listed buildings are protected because of their historic or architectural importance, and that protection shapes their insurance. If a listed building is damaged, it usually has to be repaired like for like, using the same materials and methods, which can be far more costly than a modern repair. Any work may need listed building consent. As a result, the rebuild cost is often high, and you generally need a policy designed for listed properties, ideally arranged with specialist advice.
Working out the rebuild cost of a listed home
For a listed or heritage building, you should not rely on a standard rebuild calculator, which is designed for ordinary homes. The cost of rebuilding using traditional materials and craftsmanship can be substantially higher. A specialist surveyor with experience of historic buildings can provide an accurate rebuild figure, which protects you from being under-insured. Getting this right is essential, because under-insuring a listed building could leave a very large shortfall if the worst happened.
Thatched properties
Thatched homes are charming but carry a particular risk: fire. Thatch is more vulnerable to fire, especially from chimneys and wood burners, so thatched home insurance usually requires good fire precautions and may cost more. Insurers often expect regular chimney sweeping, properly maintained electrics, and sometimes specific measures around wood burners. A specialist thatched property insurer will understand these needs and price the cover fairly, where a mainstream insurer might decline or overcharge.
Using a specialist insurer or broker
For non-standard homes, a specialist insurer or broker is often the best route. They understand unusual construction, can value the property correctly, and can arrange cover that genuinely fits, rather than a standard policy stretched to cover something it was not designed for. A broker can also do the legwork of finding cover for a tricky property. There may be a fee, but for a non-standard home the right cover matters more than shaving a few pounds off the price.
What to tell your insurer
With a non-standard home, full and accurate disclosure is vital. Tell your insurer about the construction, the roof type, any listing, and any unusual features. Failing to disclose that a home is thatched, listed or of unusual construction could invalidate your cover. It is far better to describe the property accurately from the start, even if it means a higher premium, than to risk a claim being refused because the policy was based on wrong assumptions.
Keeping cover affordable
Even for a non-standard home, some of the usual savings apply. Good maintenance, appropriate security and fire precautions, a sensible excess and shopping around among specialists all help. Our guide to lowering your home insurance covers the general principles. The key difference for a non-standard home is to compare specialist insurers rather than mainstream ones, since the specialist market is where you are most likely to find fair, properly tailored cover.
Flat roofs and what insurers ask
Homes with flat roofs are treated as non-standard, and insurers often ask what proportion of the roof is flat and what material it is made from. Flat roofs can be more prone to leaks and have a shorter lifespan than pitched roofs, which is why they attract questions. Being able to describe your roof accurately, including any recent replacement or repair, helps you get a fair quote and ensures the cover matches the property rather than being based on guesswork.
Converted and unusual properties
Barn conversions, converted churches, oast houses and similar properties are popular but distinctly non-standard, combining unusual construction with often high rebuild costs. These homes almost always need specialist cover that understands their particular features. A mainstream policy may not properly account for the materials, the rebuild cost or the quirks of a converted building, so seeking out an insurer or broker experienced with conversions is the surest way to get cover that genuinely fits.
Do not stretch a standard policy
The biggest mistake with a non-standard home is trying to force it into a standard policy to save money or time. If the cover is based on the assumption that the home is ordinary brick and tile, a claim could be disputed or reduced when the truth emerges. It is always better to describe the property accurately and pay for cover designed for it, so that the policy will actually respond when you need it, rather than discovering a problem at the worst possible moment.
In short
Non-standard homes, including timber-framed, thatched, flat-roofed and listed buildings, differ from standard brick and tile and usually need specialist cover. They cost more to insure because of specialist repairs, higher rebuild costs and risks like thatch fire. Get an accurate rebuild figure from a specialist surveyor, disclose the construction fully, and compare specialist insurers or use a broker to find cover that genuinely fits the property.
Where to get help and next steps
Read our guide to buildings insurance for rebuild cost and cover, and how premiums are calculated to understand the price. If your home holds valuable contents too, see insuring high-value items.