While your house is a building site the risks are different: tools and materials on site, open walls, temporary wiring and sometimes rooms left empty for weeks. A standard homeowners policy may treat some of these situations differently, so it is worth a conversation with your insurer before the first wall comes down.
Tell your insurer before you start
Describe the scope of the work and how long it is expected to take. Ask whether your current policy covers damage that happens during construction, and whether a separate builder's risk policy or an addition to your existing one is recommended for a project of this size.
If you move out for a while
Many policies have rules about homes left unoccupied for an extended period. If you plan to stay elsewhere during the heaviest weeks, ask how that affects your cover and what your insurer expects from you while you are away.
Ask any contractor for proof of cover
- A certificate of general liability insurance, issued by their insurer rather than a copy they produced themselves.
- Proof of workers' compensation cover for the people working in your home, where your state requires it.
- A license number where your state or city licenses the trade, which you can check with the licensing board.
These are reasonable questions to put to anyone working in your house, and a reputable firm will expect them.
Protect what is already there
Move valuables and important documents out of the work area, photograph each room before work begins, and keep a list of anything stored in a garage or shed for the length of the project.
Where to read more
- Homeowners insurance basicsNational Association of Insurance Commissioners
- Making a home inventoryNational Association of Insurance Commissioners
- Your state insurance departmentDirectory kept by the NAIC
- Flood insuranceFederal Emergency Management Agency
We are a renovation company, not an insurance company or an insurance agent. We do not sell insurance or recommend policies, and only your own insurer can tell you what your policy covers.