What is listed building insurance?

If you own a listed building, it’s not just any old bricks and mortar – it’s a slice of history. And that means it may need more than your standard home insurance to keep it properly protected.

Specialist listed building insurance is designed to cover the unique risks and requirements of listed buildings. Grade II is the most common listing for homeowners. Grade I buildings are of exceptional national importance (the top 2.5% of listed buildings), while Grade II* are particularly important buildings with extra historical or architectural value.

Living in one of these buildings can bring extra responsibilities, such as being legally responsible for carrying out repairs. Just as importantly, there are often higher costs and more complexities when repairing period features with traditional materials and methods. Listing building insurance providers recognise this and they cover you for having repairs carried out in a way that’s appropriate to your building’s history.

Why do I need listed building insurance?

While listed buildings insurance isn’t a legal requirement, you’ll want a policy that understands the unique quirks (and costs!) that come with owning a piece of history.

Due to the higher repair costs involved, standard home insurance often doesn’t cut it for listed properties. Repairs can be pricier because of the materials and methods needed to keep everything in line with heritage rules.

Older homes can also be more prone to issues like damp, drainage problems or fire risks – and when things go wrong, it can get expensive fast. What’s more, if you’re required to make repairs and don’t get round to them, your local authority could step in, sort it out themselves, and then bill you. A specialist listed building policy can help cover you for situations like that.

Some standard insurers may cover listed buildings, but you may need a specialist provider to make sure you’re fully protected. Here’s why this specialist insurance is worth having:

  • Tailored cover for listed homes: Insurance that matches the unique needs of your heritage property.

  • Covers specialist repair costs: Helps with pricier repairs using traditional methods and materials.

  • Protects you from council costs: Covers your back if the local authority steps in to fix issues you’re responsible for.

What does listed buildings insurance cover?

Listed building insurance works much like standard home insurance, but with an important extra – it should also cover the higher costs of specialist materials and skilled labour needed to repair or restore your home properly.

As a general guide, here’s what is likely to be covered by listed buildings insurance, depending on the insurer and policy you choose:

  • Damage to your home’s structure: Covers fire, flood, storm and theft-related damage to the building.

  • Subsidence and land movement: Includes cover for subsidence, heave and landslip.

  • Outbuildings and outdoor features: Protection for garages, sheds, patios, pools and more.

  • Alternative accommodation: Pays for temporary housing if your home becomes uninhabitable.

  • Matching set replacements: Covers full set replacement if a perfect match isn’t available.

  • Permanent fixtures and outdoor surfaces: Includes fitted wardrobes, kitchens, driveways and patios.

  • Replacement locks and keys: Covers replacing locks and keys if they’re lost or stolen.

  • Specialist repairs: The cost of tradespeople with the skills needed for listed building repairs.

Some policies may also cover these, either as standard or add-ons:

  • Home emergency cover: Covers urgent callouts for things like boiler breakdowns or plumbing issues.

  • Accidental damage cover: For those ‘oops’ moments, like a large stain on an expensive carpet or cracking a window.

  • Legal protection: Helps cover legal costs if you have disputes over things like faulty goods or neighbour issues.

  • Personal possessions cover: Extends protection to valuable items you take outside the home, like phones, jewellery and laptops.

As with standard home insurance, you can cover your listed home’s building and contents separately – or bundle them into one policy, which is often better value.

Remember, cover details can vary a lot depending on the insurer and the level of cover you pick. Comparing policies is the best way to make sure you get the protection that suits your home and lifestyle.

What isn’t covered?

No insurance can cover absolutely everything, so it’s really important to check the exclusions in your policy. While listed buildings insurance protects your home against lots of risks, there are some common things it often won’t cover, including:

  • General wear and tear or gradual deterioration of your home or belongings.

  • Damage caused by cleaning, renovating, repairing or restoring items.

  • Problems caused by wet rot, dry rot, frost, vermin or woodworm.

  • Damage to fences, gates, or hedges from storms (often excluded from buildings cover).

  • Any damage or events that happened before your policy started or situations you already knew about, like a flood warning for your area.

  • Loss, damage, or liability caused deliberately or through criminal actions by you or anyone living with you.

  • Damage caused by pets, such as chewing, scratching, tearing, or fouling.

Always take time to read your full policy documents carefully to understand exactly what’s included and excluded. That way, you avoid any surprises if you ever need to make a claim.

How much listed buildings insurance cover will I need?

When it comes to any type of buildings insurance, it’s all about how much it would cost to rebuild your property – not its market value. However, listed buildings by their very nature fall outside of normal rebuild costs, which is one reason why general insurance providers may not sufficiently cover them.

Specialist listed building insurers might be better placed to assess the financial risks involved, and provide suitable cover. Naturally, listed buildings can be more expensive to insure because they are likely to need special skills and materials for repairs, and this will be factored into the estimated rebuild costs.

How much does listed building insurance cost?

Because of the higher risks and potential repair or rebuild costs, premiums for listed building insurance are typically more expensive than standard home insurance. Exactly how much it will cost depends on a few key factors, including if you want to add contents insurance too, where you live, whether you have previously claimed on home insurance, and the level of cover you choose.

There’s no one-size-fits-all price for listed buildings insurance, because every property’s different. Premiums can vary widely – from grand stately homes to more modest listed buildings like old farmhouses or cottages. As a rule of thumb, the older and more unusual your home, the higher the premium is likely to be.

Remember, it’s always worth shopping around when your renewal comes up. Even small differences in cover or excess can make a big difference to the premium.

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Answering your questions about listed buildings insurance

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Page updated on 5th November 2025, Reviewed by Richard Groom