Why You Should Always Get Your Own Building Repair Quote for a Home Insurance Claim

When your property is damaged and you make a home insurance claim, your insurance company will arrange for the damage to be assessed and provide a valuation for the repair works. Many homeowners, landlords, and commercial property owners simply accept this figure and allow the insurer to proceed. This is one of the most costly mistakes you can make.

Getting your own independent building repair quote for your home insurance claim is not just advisable — in many cases it is essential to ensure you receive a fair settlement and that your property is properly restored. Here is why.

The Insurance Company's Valuation Is Not Necessarily in Your Interest

When you make a property insurance claim, your insurer appoints a loss adjuster to assess the damage on their behalf. It is important to understand a fundamental truth about this process: the loss adjuster is employed and paid by the insurance company. Their job is to assess the claim fairly — but their commercial relationship is with the insurer, not with you.

This does not mean loss adjusters act dishonestly. Most are professional and diligent. But the insurer's interest is to settle claims efficiently and at the lowest justifiable cost. The loss adjuster's assessment will reflect that context. Their repair quote may use cheaper materials, lower labour rates, or a narrower scope of works than is genuinely required to restore your property to its pre-loss condition.

What the Insurer's Quote May Miss

Insurance repair assessments carried out by loss adjusters or insurer-appointed surveyors frequently underestimate the true scope and cost of works required. Common areas where shortfalls occur include:

• Hidden damage: Water, fire, and smoke damage often penetrates far beyond what is visible on the surface. Moisture trapped in wall cavities, sub-floor voids, or roof structures can cause serious long-term problems if not properly addressed. A quick visual assessment may miss this entirely.
• Like-for-like reinstatement: Your policy entitles you to have your property restored to its pre-loss condition using equivalent materials and finishes. An insurer's quote may specify cheaper alternatives — standard plasterboard instead of heritage lime plaster, for example, or laminate flooring instead of the original hardwood.
• Consequential works: Repairing damage often requires disturbing adjacent areas — removing fitted furniture to access damaged walls, lifting flooring to dry sub-floors, or temporarily relocating services. These consequential works are often underestimated or omitted entirely.
• Specialist trade requirements: Flood damage repairs, fire and smoke damage repairs, and water damage repairs require specialist contractors with specific equipment and expertise. A general builder's rates and methods are not appropriate for this type of work, and using them can result in an incomplete repair.
• Temporary accommodation and storage: If your property is uninhabitable during repairs, you may be entitled to alternative accommodation costs and storage for your belongings. These entitlements are sometimes not proactively included in the insurer's initial assessment.

What an Independent Building Repair Quote Gives You

An independent building repair quote from a specialist repair contractor provides you with a professional, documented assessment of the true cost of restoring your property. This is not simply a second opinion — it is a powerful tool that changes the dynamics of your claim negotiation.

• A detailed, itemised breakdown of all works required — including hidden damage and consequential works
• Professional evidence that the insurer's figure is insufficient to carry out the required repairs to the appropriate standard
• A credible basis for negotiating a higher settlement with your insurance company
• Assurance that the repair specification reflects like-for-like reinstatement using appropriate materials
• Documentation that supports a formal dispute or Financial Ombudsman complaint if required
• Peace of mind that your property will be properly restored — not just patched up

Real-World Impact: How Much Difference Can It Make?

The gap between an insurer's initial repair quote and the true cost of works can be substantial. In cases involving flood damage repairs, fire and smoke damage repairs, or storm damage repairs to older or non-standard properties, the shortfall can run to tens of thousands of pounds. Even for more straightforward claims — impact and accidental damage repairs, water damage repairs from a burst pipe — the difference between a superficial repair and a thorough, specialist-led restoration can be significant.

Homeowners who obtain their own independent repair quotes consistently achieve better outcomes than those who simply accept the insurer's initial assessment. The same applies to landlords, letting agents managing rental portfolios, and commercial property owners — all of whom have a strong interest in ensuring their property is fully and properly restored.

You Have the Right to Appoint Your Own Contractor

Many policyholders are unaware that they generally have the right to appoint their own contractor rather than using the insurer's preferred supplier — provided the costs are reasonable and the works meet the required standard. Your insurance policy is a contract, and you are entitled to have your property restored to its pre-loss condition. An independent repair quote from a specialist contractor is the most effective way to establish what that actually costs.

If your insurer disputes your independent quote, you can formally challenge their assessment. In many cases, the insurer will revise their offer once presented with credible, professional evidence. If they do not, you have the right to escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) free of charge.

How to Get a Professional Insurance Repair Quote from RM Assist

RM Assist provides professional insurance repair quotes for all types of property damage across the UK. Our quotes are prepared by experienced specialist repair contractors and cover the full scope of works required — including hidden damage, consequential works, and specialist trade requirements.

We work with homeowners, landlords, letting agents, and commercial property owners. Our service is available 24/7, and in many cases our fees are recoverable as part of your insurance claim. If you have received a repair quote from your insurer and it doesn't feel right, contact us today for an independent professional assessment.