Adequate Insurance. No Insurance! No Thanks!
- Mar 10
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
During my time on site, it was the surveyor’s duty to ensure our contractors had sufficient insurance. The surveyor maintained a copy of their insurance policy in our systems for this purpose.
It's crucial that builders working on your property are insured. The link below from Compare the Market provides an excellent explanation of why builders need insurance.
The insurance policy is not confidential. If you're hiring someone, request a copy of their policy. Verify that it includes the trading name of the company, is current, and will remain valid throughout the project.
Picture this: you hire someone to remove a wall in your house, but they fail to recognise it's a structural wall, causing your ceiling or roof to collapse. Your home insurance won't cover this.
Removing a wall is subject to building regulations. All work completed with building control involved is governed by the Building Safety Act. As a domestic client, it's your responsibility to hire contractors who understand their roles and will manage the CDM regulations on your behalf. The HSE website provides detailed information for domestic clients in this link https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/areyou/domestic-client.htm.
The new legislation surrounding building control requires you to sign a declaration stating, "I confirm that the building work described in the Initial Notice served by BUILDING CONTROL COMPANY on my behalf, namely: First floor rear extension is complete and to the best of my knowledge, the work complies with all applicable requirements of the building regulations." Once the work is complete. This may seem excessive, but it's designed to protect you! The contractors and designers involved in the work also have their own separate declarations to sign, confirming they have completed the work in accordance with the drawings.
If they refuse to provide proof of insurance, do not hire them. The consequences of inadequate insurance can be devastating. Exercise caution.
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