JCT insurance will protect you if you accidentally damage your neighbour’s property

When having work done on your home there is always the chance that it could damage the neighbouring properties, and this could be as a result of subsidence, lowering of ground water or vibration, amongst other things. These are all issues that are not your fault or the contractor's fault, and you will need a special policy to cover yourself if this occurs.

If you are having your home extended, refurbished or you're making any other significant changes then it is hugely important to make sure that you have the right level of cover to protect yourself if anything goes wrong. This is true not only for your own property, but also any property surrounding you such as your neighbour’s home or any other buildings, as the work being done could also have an impact on them. This is particularly true if work is being done on the foundations, as the landscape and geology of the local area is something that is out of your control.

You will require a Joint Contracts Tribunal Clause insurance policy, and this will protect you from any damages that will occur to the surrounding properties that are not your fault or the fault of the contractor. In specific terms, it will generally cover you for damage done to neighbouring properties by collapse, subsidence, weakening of support, removal of support, lowering of ground water and vibrations. As these are all impossible to predict it is very important to consider signing up for JCT insurance if you are planning on having any work done at all on your home. If damage does occur then it could cost you a lot to repair the damage done to your neighbour's home as well as legal costs to defend yourself – perhaps most importantly, it will also put back your plans on the work done to your own home.

Underpinned insurance: for properties that have had work done on the foundations

An underpinned property is one that has had work done on the foundations to stop subsidence, which can make it unlikely that a regular home insurance policy will cover it. There are specialist policies, however, that cover underpinned homes so if you live in one of these properties then be sure to get in touch with a company that offers them.

All around the country there are thousands of homes that have suffered from subsidence, which is a huge concern for all home owners. Subsidence is when your home sinks into the ground, which is generally due to the foundations that it is built on shrinking because of dry spells or trees and plants taking away all the moisture in the earth. When subsidence occurs it is important that action is taken because it can cause all kinds of damage to the home, particularly to the foundations. This action that is taken is called underpinning, which involves the property having work done below the foundations to help support the building and stop it from shrinking further into the ground.

Of course an underpinned property will still be seen as a substantial risk by insurance companies, so you may struggle to find insurance if your home has been underpinned. You can, however, take advantage of specialist policies called underpinned insurance, which are designed to cover you. Whilst the premiums may be slightly more expensive than usual, it 's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to home insurance. An underpinned property is perfectly safe to live in and the work done should stop subsidence from happening again, but it is more than likely that you will need a specialist policy to protect yourself. Get in touch with one of these companies today to find out more about insuring an underpinned property.