How much is buildings insurance?

The average buildings-only policy cost £310 a year in July to September 2026, based on prices people actually paid (ABI Property Insurance Tracker, 2 November 2026). A combined buildings and contents policy averaged £389.

Your own price could sit well above or below that. It depends mostly on your rebuild cost, where you live and your claims history.

What does the average UK buildings policy cost?

The latest industry figures put structure-only cover at £310 a year, £13 less than a year earlier and £1 more than in April to June 2026. The tracker covers around 15.5 million policies sold a year and uses the price paid, not the price quoted.

Type of home policy	Average annual premium, Jul to Sep 2026	Change on Jul to Sep 2025
Buildings only	£310	Down £13
Buildings and contents combined	£389	Up £3
Contents only	£118	Down £7
All home policies	£329	No change

An average mixes small flats with large detached houses, so treat it as a rough marker, not a quote.

How much is that per month?

Spread over 12 months with no interest, £310 works out at about £26 a month. Some insurers charge interest or a fee for monthly instalments, so check the APR and the total amount payable before you choose.

Is it cheaper to buy buildings and contents together?

On the averages, yes. Buying the two covers separately came to £428 (£310 plus £118), while the average combined policy was £389, about £39 less.

That gap compares different groups of homes, so it does not prove a combined policy will cost less for you. Our page on combined buildings and contents cover explains how one policy works day to day.

What decides the price of your buildings cover?

The biggest single factor is your rebuild cost, because it sets the most the insurer could pay out. After that, insurers look at the risks around and inside your home.

• Rebuild cost: a higher figure means a bigger possible claim and usually a higher premium.
• Location: flood, subsidence and storm exposure in your postcode feed straight into the price.
• How the home is built: thatched roofs, timber frames, flat roofs and listed status can make repairs dearer.
• Claims history: recent claims on any home you have insured can push the price up.
• Excess and extras: a higher excess usually lowers the premium, while accidental damage cover adds to it.

Claim costs across the market matter too. The same ABI release reports a record £10,000 average home and business property claim in July to September 2026. Insurers received 13,000 new domestic subsidence claims that quarter, against 8,000 a year earlier, and the average subsidence payout held at a record £20,000.

For the wider set of price factors, including renewal pricing and tax, see our guide to what affects home insurance cost.

Why does the rebuild cost matter more than the house price?

Your sum insured should be the cost to rebuild the home from scratch, not what it would sell for. Market value includes the land, which does not need rebuilding after a fire or flood.

The Financial Ombudsman Service says a rebuild figure should cover more than bricks and labour (Financial Ombudsman Service). It lists debris removal, architects’ and surveyors’ fees, legal fees, VAT and the extra cost of meeting building regulations.

What happens if you insure for too little?

If the figure is too low, the insurer may cut your claim in proportion. The Ombudsman gives the example of a home insured for £300,000 that should have been £500,000, where an average clause pays 60% of the claim.

Overestimating has the opposite problem. You pay for cover you could never use, because the insurer will not pay more than the real rebuild cost.

A worked example: first-time buyers in Leeds

Amira and Joe are buying a 1930s semi in Leeds. When they start a quote, they type the purchase price into the rebuild cost box, as it is the only big number they know. Their mortgage valuation report shows a separate reinstatement figure, which is lower because it leaves out the land.

They use that figure instead, then check it against an online rebuild calculator, and the quotes they see change. They also set cover to start on the day they exchange contracts. GOV.UK says that from exchange the buyer is legally responsible for the property (GOV.UK How to buy a home).

Do flat owners pay for buildings insurance?

Usually yes, but indirectly. In most blocks the freeholder or managing agent insures the whole building and recovers a share through your service charge, so your lease decides who arranges it.

As a leaseholder you have the right to information about service charges and insurance (GOV.UK). For block policies sold or renewed after 31 December 2023, leaseholders can also complain to the Financial Ombudsman about the sale or renewal (FOS guidance).

If you own a leasehold flat, you will normally still need your own contents cover. Our flat insurance page explains the options.

Does flood risk raise the cost of structure cover?

It can, often by a lot. Flood Re is a reinsurance scheme that helps insurers offer more affordable flood cover to homes at high risk.

To qualify, a home generally has to have been built and given a Council Tax band before 2009 (Flood Re eligibility). Insurers still set the price, and the scheme is due to run until 2039 (Flood Re). You can check the long-term flood risk for an area in England on GOV.UK with links for the other UK nations.

What can you do to keep your premium down?

Start with an accurate rebuild figure, then compare like for like. This checklist covers the details insurers ask about most often:

• Rebuild cost: take it from your valuation report or a rebuild calculator, and review it after an extension or loft conversion.
• Property details: have the year built, wall and roof materials and the share of any flat roof to hand.
• Claims: list recent home claims with dates. Wrong answers can lead to a reduced or refused claim later.
• Excess: only raise the voluntary excess to a sum you could afford on a claim.
• Extras: decide whether you need accidental damage or legal cover before you compare, so quotes match.
• Payment: pay annually if you can, or check what monthly instalments add.
• Tax: quotes already include Insurance Premium Tax at the standard 12% rate for home insurance (GOV.UK).

Upkeep matters too. Insurers can turn down storm or leak claims where the real cause is wear and tear, so keep roofs, gutters and pipes in good repair. Home emergency cover can help with a sudden boiler or plumbing failure that a standard policy may not pay for.

Common questions about the price

What is buildings insurance?

Buildings insurance pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after events such as fire, flood or storm. It usually covers walls, roof, floors and permanent fixtures like fitted kitchens, but check the policy wording for exact limits.

Do you legally need cover for your home’s structure?

It is usually your mortgage lender, not the law, that makes it a must. GOV.UK’s home buying guide says buildings insurance is normally a requirement of having a mortgage, and buyers arrange it from exchange.

Have structure-only premiums gone up?

Not over the past year. The ABI says the average buildings-only premium was £310 in July to September 2026, £13 lower than a year earlier, though £1 higher than the previous quarter.

What to do next

With a reliable rebuild figure, the quickest way to see a real price is to compare. Tiger.co.uk lets you compare home insurance quotes for buildings, contents or combined cover with one short form.

Prices and cover vary between insurers, so read the policy wording before you buy. You can read more about buildings cover, contents insurance and landlord insurance on Tiger.co.uk.