How to Claim on Home Insurance — Water Damage, Burglary, Storm

Water Damage Claims — Emergency Steps

Water damage is the most common home insurance claim in the UK, accounting for around 30% of all claims. The cause determines whether your claim will be successful: sudden events like burst pipes and appliance failures are almost always covered, while gradual leaks and poor maintenance may not be.

Immediate Actions

1. Turn off the water supply at the stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink or in the airing cupboard). Know where your stopcock is before you need it — test it now to make sure it turns.
2. Turn off the electricity if water is near electrical fittings or sockets. Switch off at the consumer unit (fuse box) to prevent electrocution risk.
3. Contain the water using towels, buckets, and mops. Move furniture and valuables away from the affected area. If water is coming through a ceiling, place containers underneath and consider making a small hole in the ceiling to allow water to drain in a controlled way rather than causing the ceiling to collapse.
4. Photograph everything before you start cleaning up. Take photos and video of the water source, the spread of damage, damaged items, and watermarks on walls and ceilings.
5. Call an emergency plumber to fix the immediate source. Keep the receipt — emergency repair costs are typically covered by your policy. Your insurer may have a 24/7 emergency helpline with approved contractors.
6. Call your insurer to report the claim. Many insurers have dedicated emergency claims teams that can arrange drying equipment and temporary accommodation if your home is uninhabitable.

Be aware that insurers distinguish between "escape of water" (a sudden, unexpected event like a burst pipe) and "gradual damage" (a slow leak that has been dripping for months). Escape of water is covered by standard policies. Gradual damage is usually excluded, on the basis that you should have noticed and repaired the leak. If there is any ambiguity about whether the leak was sudden or gradual, the onus is on the insurer to prove it was gradual, not on you to prove it was sudden.

Burglary Claims — Emergency Steps

A burglary is traumatic, and the last thing you want to think about is paperwork. But taking the right steps quickly protects both your safety and your insurance claim.

Immediate Actions

1. Do not enter your home if you think the burglar might still be inside. Wait outside and call 999 immediately.
2. Call the police and get a crime reference number. You will need this for your insurance claim. The police will ask you not to touch anything until they have examined the scene for forensic evidence.
3. Secure the property. If a door or window has been forced open, arrange emergency boarding or lock replacement. Your insurer's emergency line can often arrange this. Keep the receipt for emergency security work.
4. Make a list of stolen items as soon as possible. For each item, note the make, model, approximate age, and what you paid for it. Check drawers, cupboards, and storage areas methodically — you may not notice everything missing immediately.
5. Gather proof of ownership: bank and credit card statements showing purchases, product registration emails, photos showing items in your home (check social media posts, estate agent photos, and family photos), warranties and manuals, Amazon or eBay order history.
6. Photograph the damage to doors, windows, locks, and frames. This documents the point of entry and supports your claim.

Most policies have single-item limits for valuables (typically £1,000–2,000 per item). If you own jewellery, watches, electronics, or other high-value items worth more than this limit, they need to be individually specified (listed) on your policy with a separate valuation. Unspecified items above the single-item limit will only be covered up to that limit, regardless of their actual value. Check your policy now to see if your valuables are properly covered.

Storm Damage Claims — Emergency Steps

Storm damage claims have risen sharply in recent years with increasingly severe UK weather. Storms can damage roofs, fences, outbuildings, and cause flooding. Understanding what constitutes a "storm" under your policy is important.

What Counts as Storm Damage?

Insurers generally define a storm as wind speeds exceeding 55 mph (Beaufort Scale 10+), heavy rainfall, or hailstones. The Financial Ombudsman considers three questions when assessing storm claims: Was there a storm? Did the storm cause the damage? Was the property in a reasonable condition before the storm? If your roof was already in poor condition, the insurer may argue the damage was caused by wear and tear, not the storm.

Immediate Actions for Storm Damage

1. Stay safe. Do not go on the roof or attempt repairs in dangerous conditions. Wait until the storm has passed. Keep away from fallen power lines and unstable structures.
2. Prevent further damage. Once it is safe, cover any holes or exposed areas with tarpaulin to prevent water ingress. Photograph the damage before covering it.
3. Document the weather. Take screenshots of Met Office weather warnings and reports for your area on the date of the damage. This proves storm conditions existed.
4. Get repair estimates. Obtain at least two quotes from reputable contractors. Your insurer may want to send their own assessor before repairs begin (except for emergency repairs to prevent further damage).

Fences are a common point of confusion. Many home insurance policies exclude fence damage from storm cover, or cover it with a very low limit (e.g., £500 total). Garden structures (sheds, greenhouses, summer houses) may have separate cover limits too. Check your policy schedule for specific limits on outbuildings and fences before making a claim, as the cost of the claim on your record may exceed the payout for a £300 fence.

Documentation You Need for Any Home Claim

Regardless of the type of claim, having comprehensive documentation dramatically improves your chances of a full and fast settlement. Here is a complete checklist:

• Photos and video of all damage (before cleanup where possible)
• Police crime reference number (burglary, vandalism)
• Emergency repair receipts
• Repair quotes (minimum two from qualified tradespeople)
• Proof of ownership for stolen or damaged items (receipts, bank statements, photos)
• Valuations for high-value items (jewellery, art, antiques)
• Weather reports (for storm claims)
• Timeline of events with dates and times
• Correspondence log (who you spoke to, when, what was agreed)
• Temporary accommodation receipts (if your home is uninhabitable)

We strongly recommend maintaining a home inventory — a list of your possessions with photos and approximate values, stored in the cloud. If your home is burgled or damaged by fire or flood, this inventory makes your claim dramatically easier and faster to settle. MoneyShield's insurance tools can help you create and maintain this inventory.

Contents vs Buildings Insurance

Understanding the difference between contents and buildings insurance is essential because different types of damage are covered by different parts of your policy, and each has separate cover limits and excesses.

A single incident (like a burst pipe) can involve both buildings and contents claims. The water damage to plaster, floorboards, and fitted carpets is a buildings claim. The damage to furniture, electronics, and personal items is a contents claim. You may need to submit two separate claims (or one combined claim if you have a combined policy). Each will have its own excess.

Underinsurance and the Average Clause

Underinsurance is one of the most painful discoveries a homeowner can make during a claim. If the sum insured on your policy is less than the actual value of your property or possessions, the insurer can reduce your payout proportionally using the "average clause" (also called the "condition of average").

How the Average Clause Works

If your contents are worth £60,000 but you only insured them for £30,000 (50% of the true value), the insurer can pay only 50% of any claim — even if the claim is well within your cover limit. So a £5,000 burglary claim would only pay out £2,500. The logic is that you were only paying premiums for half the risk, so the insurer only covers half the loss.

To avoid underinsurance, review your cover amounts annually. The Association of British Insurers estimates that 1 in 5 UK homes are underinsured. Common causes include home improvements that increase the rebuild cost, accumulation of possessions over time, and inflation increasing replacement costs. For buildings insurance, use the RICS Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) calculator to estimate your rebuild cost accurately.

Excess and Voluntary Excess Explained

Every home insurance policy has an excess — the amount you pay towards any claim before the insurer pays the rest. Understanding how excess works helps you decide whether to claim for smaller incidents.

• Compulsory excess: Set by the insurer and non-negotiable. Typically £100–250 for standard claims, but can be much higher for specific perils (e.g., £1,000+ for subsidence or flood claims).
• Voluntary excess: An additional amount you choose to pay in exchange for a lower premium. Common voluntary excess levels are £100, £250, or £500. The higher your voluntary excess, the lower your premium.
• Total excess: Compulsory + voluntary. If your compulsory excess is £100 and your voluntary excess is £250, you pay the first £350 of any claim.

A useful rule of thumb: do not claim for anything less than double your total excess. A £400 claim on a £350 excess nets you only £50 but records a claim on your policy, potentially increasing your premiums at renewal by far more than £50. Save your claim record for significant losses. Each claim remains on your record for 3–5 years and is visible to all insurers when you get quotes.

Related Guides

For the general principles of insurance claims across all types, see our complete UK insurance claim guide. If you are also dealing with a car accident, our car insurance claim guide covers the specific steps for motor claims. Renters should also check our deposit protection guide and rent comparison tool.