When a storm lifts tiles off your roof or brings down a chimney stack, your insurer will often offer to send one of its own contractors. It sounds like the easy option, and sometimes it is. But choosing between an insurance approved contractor in the UK and your own builder changes who guarantees the work, how quickly it happens and how much control you have over the result.
For most straightforward storm claims, the insurer’s approved contractor is the lower-risk route, because the insurer usually stands behind the workmanship. Use your own contractor when the job needs specialist skills, when the insurer’s network cannot attend in a reasonable time, or when you are combining the repair with work of your own. Either way, agree the route in writing before anyone starts.
How insurer-approved contractors work
Most home insurers run a network of approved repairers, sometimes called panel contractors. When you report storm damage, the insurer may appoint one of them to inspect, quote and carry out the repair, and pays them directly. You usually only pay your excess.
What you get
A workmanship guarantee from the insurer. If the repair fails, the insurer is normally responsible for putting it right, because it appointed the contractor.
No money changing hands. The insurer settles the invoice, so you are not chasing payment or funding the job first.
Less admin. The contractor reports to the insurer, so you are not forwarding quotes back and forth.
The trade-offs
Less choice over timing. After a major storm, network contractors can be stretched across a whole region.
Less say over the specification. The repair is to put things back as they were, not to upgrade.
Variable quality. Networks differ by insurer and by area, so the guarantee matters more than the name on the van.
Using your own builder or roofer
You can often appoint your own contractor, but the details depend on your policy wording. The insurer will typically want to approve the quote before work starts, and it may only pay what the repair would have cost through its own network. Any difference can fall to you.
When your own contractor makes sense
Specialist work. A listed building, a thatched roof, natural slate or lime mortar may need a specialist the network does not have.
Speed. If the network cannot attend for weeks and your own roofer can make the home watertight this week, that matters.
Combined projects. If you were already planning a re-roof, it can be simpler to have one contractor do both, with the insurer paying its share.
A trusted relationship. A local tradesperson who already knows the house can spot related problems an unfamiliar contractor might miss.
The risks
When you choose the contractor, the workmanship guarantee usually comes from them, not from the insurer. If they cut corners or stop trading, your claim is against the contractor, not the insurer. Check that they are registered, insured and willing to give a written guarantee, and ask whether they are a member of a scheme such as TrustMark.
Questions to ask before you decide
Before you agree to either route, a short phone call with the insurer can save weeks later. Ask:
Who guarantees the repair, and for how long? Get the answer in writing.
If I use my own contractor, what will you pay? Ask whether payment is capped at the network rate, and whether that covers VAT.
When can your contractor attend? If the answer is weeks away, ask what the insurer will do in the meantime to keep the home watertight.
Will a loss adjuster visit? For larger claims, the insurer may send one to assess the damage before agreeing a scope of works.
What happens to matching materials? If only part of a roof or wall can be repaired, ask how the insurer handles tiles or bricks that no longer match.
Write down the answers, with the date and the name of the person you spoke to.
Cash settlements
Some insurers offer a cash settlement instead of arranging the repair. That can look attractive, but the figure is often based on what the insurer would have paid its own contractors, which can be less than an independent quote. Before accepting, get at least one independent quote of your own, so you can see whether the offer covers the job. If it does not, say so in writing and send the quote.
Never accept a cash settlement on a roof until a roofer has been up a ladder and priced it. A figure worked out at a desk from photographs is a starting point for negotiation, not a final answer.
The first week after storm damage
Whichever route you take, what you do in the first few days shapes the claim.
Make the home safe. You are generally expected to prevent further damage, for example by covering a hole in the roof. Reasonable emergency repairs are usually claimable, so keep receipts.
Photograph everything before it is moved. Wide shots, close-ups and any debris in the garden.
Report the claim promptly. Most policies require you to notify the insurer as soon as reasonably possible.
Do not start permanent repairs without agreement. Emergency work is fine. Permanent work before the insurer has seen the damage can put the claim at risk.
Keep a log. Dates, phone calls, the names of the people you spoke to and what was agreed.
Insurers usually define a storm by wind speed, heavy rain or snow, and they may decline claims where they believe the damage was caused by wear and tear rather than the storm itself. A roof that was already in poor condition is a common sticking point.
If you disagree with the insurer
If the insurer’s contractor does a poor job, report it to the insurer in writing with photographs, because it appointed them. If the insurer declines your claim, rejects your quote or offers a settlement you think is too low, use its complaints process first. If you are still unhappy after eight weeks, or once you have a final response, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service free of charge.
For general guidance on making a home insurance claim, see the Association of British Insurers.
What to do in the next 30 minutes
Find your buildings insurance schedule and policy wording, and check the section on storm damage and choosing a contractor.
Note your excess, and whether it is higher for storm or subsidence claims.
Photograph your roof, chimney, fences and gutters now, so you have a before picture if a storm hits later.
Save the number of a registered local roofer you would trust for emergency repairs.
Put your policy documents and photos in one place you can reach from your phone.
Keep claim evidence in Home+: your policy schedule, dated photos, quotes and every letter from the insurer, in one place you can reach from your phone.
FAQ
Can I use my own builder for an insurance claim? Often, yes. Most insurers will consider your contractor’s quote, but they usually want to approve it before work starts and may only pay what their own network would have charged. Check your policy wording and get agreement in writing.
Who guarantees the work if I use the insurer’s contractor? Usually the insurer, because it appointed the contractor. If you choose your own builder, the guarantee normally comes from that builder instead.
Should I accept a cash settlement? Only once you have an independent quote to compare it against. If the settlement does not cover a reasonable quote, challenge it in writing.
Can I do emergency repairs before the insurer visits? Yes. You are generally expected to stop further damage, for example with a tarpaulin over a roof. Keep receipts and photographs, and avoid permanent repairs until the insurer agrees.
What if my claim is turned down as wear and tear? Ask the insurer to explain the decision in writing and to share any report. If you disagree, use the complaints process and then the Financial Ombudsman Service.
