Listed Building Insurance
Listed buildings insurance protects historic properties from unexpected damages like fire, flooding, and vandalism, ensuring repairs adhere to strict heritage regulations. It covers essential areas such as structural integrity, unique materials, and compliance with historical preservation standards, providing crucial financial protection tailored to the specific needs of each property.
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Insurance Cover for Historical Structures, and Listed Buildings
If a building is considered to be of special architectural or historic interest it will be included in a list of such buildings. The designation regime is set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (1) and the list is maintained by Historic England.
Heritage buildings are defined as buildings, artifacts, monuments, sites or activities with archaeological, historic, architectural, cultural, engineering or scientific significance.
Due to their nature, insuring listed, historic or heritage properties requires a specialist insurer and Rowlands & Hames work closely with a range of specialist heritage insurers, including Ecclesiastical Insurance, the main insurer of Grade I listed properties in England.
Background
There are some 400,000 listed buildings in England alone* (source Historic England), of which just 2.5% are Grade I listed. 5.8% are Grade II* listed, and the remaining over 90% are Grade II listed. All of course require appropriate insurance.
What types of buildings generally become listed? Nearly all structures built before 1700 became listed, plus most buildings erected between 1700 and 1840. Buildings built between 1840 and 1945 of definite quality were considered and buildings built post 1945 of exceptional importance have been added.
In Wales there are approximately 30,000 listed buildings which follow the same designations as England and can be viewed at www.cadw.gov.wales. Please note that Scotland has its own designation system, managed by Historic Environment Scotland and there are around 47,400 listed buildings in Scotland.
There are many trends influencing the heritage sector. The pandemic has hit culture hard, resulting in reduced revenue across the sector. Heritage crime, specifically theft of metals, but also of stone remain a concern.
If you own or are responsible for a heritage property, you have an important role in helping to protect our country’s heritage. But you may also have legal responsibilities regarding it’s repair and upkeep:
Fact: carrying out unauthorised work, even repair work, to a listed building is a criminal offence punishable by a fine or a prison sentence.
Fact: any building located within a conservation area may be subject to tighter planning restrictions and additional costs, such as special building materials – even if it is not listed.
Although many businesses rely on the heritage features of their properties to attract customers, many do not protect this aspect of their business or may not have considered its financial impact should they be unable to restore it in the event of a loss.
Without specialist knowledge, it is easy to underestimate or even overestimate your insurance needs. It is therefore essential to use specialist heritage insurance.
Insurances for listed buildings, historic structures and heritage properties
Insuring listed, historic or heritage properties requires a specialist insurer.
Rowlands & Hames Insurance Brokers arranges insurance for listed, historic and heritage properties with a range of specialist insurers conversant with the particular needs of owners / guardians of listed, historic or heritage buildings/sites.
In addition to the structural insurance we can accommodate insurance for loss of revenue, employers’ and public liability, as well as the usual range of cover required for any business being operated within.
Cover for irreplaceable art, antiques and contents can be included for their agreed or market value.
For full details of the potential cover available under an Ecclesiastical “Historic Britain” policy, please click the following button:
Risk appetite
As well as the obvious – castles, forts, ancient monuments etc. – we can consider insurance for heritage hotels; shops; museums; visitor centres; historic houses; stately homes; country mansions; art galleries, restaurants; lighthouses; dockyards; windmills; piers; walls; theatres; libraries; concert halls; almshouses; tithe barns etc.
Visitor attractions (including caves and gorges, roman baths/villas etc); modern iconic buildings; converted factories, warehouses and docks, converted churches; interactive museums; model villages; and fine art collections, preservation trusts and societies can also be accommodated.
Claims
Listed, historic and heritage properties present their own challenges when it comes to the dealing with and settlement of claims.
Very often, repairs to listed, historic and heritage properties will involve the need to source specialist building firms and tradesman.
Repairs may need to be carried out using appropriate materials and specialist insurers have access to these companies.
Claims guidance is sympathetic to restoring your property to maintain the integrity of its historic or listed nature. Additional covers include archaeological costs covered under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Acts 1990.
Case Study – Cholderton house
Cholderton House, a large privately-owned Grade II* listed manor house, was built in 1690 and has been the home of the Cornelius-Reid family, its current owners, for 35 years. In March 2012 a dramatic fire swept through all three floors and the roof. At the height of the fire 12 fire engines worked on the house; local roads closed for safety.
Find out how Ecclesiastical dealt with this incident by clicking on the property picture below:
Underinsurance
As the owner or guardian of a listed property, under-insurance can be a major headache when arranging insurance. Listed buildings must be repaired to the satisfaction of the appropriate external body and it is essential the sums insured are adequate otherwise the owner/body responsible may be held liable for any further funds required to complete the repair.
When it comes to adequacy of sums insured for listed buildings, historic structures and heritage properties, Rowlands & Hames are able to, in most cases, obtain the services of a specialist listed building surveyor to provide a free valuation. Often valuations can run into the thousands of pounds but certain specialist insurers will provide the service free.
A valuation provides adequate protection and peace of mind for clients, allowing a quicker and less contentious claims settlement and fewer issues with English Heritage or other bodies and any Trustees/Owners.
Special Offering – Ecclesiastical Heritage Index
Ecclesiastical have recently developed an exciting new index which should prove extremely useful at keeping sums insured up to date, though it is only available to their customers.
The Ecclesiastical Heritage Index tracks the cost of materials and labour associated specifically with buildings of a traditional construction reducing the risk of underinsurance.
For more information, please click on the following button:
Remember… All forms of listed, historic and heritage buildings and structures accommodated.
Risk Management & Protecting Your Property
Heritage properties and fine art are at risk from malicious damage and theft. We recommend the following action to help reduce the risk of them happening to you.
Malicious Damage
There is nothing new about using art to promote a cause. In the last couple of hundred years objects as diverse as the Portland Vase and Velasquez’s ‘Rokeby Venus’ have been damaged in high profile attacks.
Within the last few years there have been three highly publicised incidents:
- At Tate Modern to Rothko’s ‘Black on Maroon’
- In Westminster Abbey to a portrait of the Queen
- In the National Gallery to arguably it’s most well loved British picture, Constable’s ‘The Hay Wain’.
Theft
With an estimated £100 million worth of artwork stolen every year within the UK it is clear that this sector is faced with considerable risks from theft. Currently there has been a trend of ‘smash and grab’ thefts in the UK with Sudeley Castle, Blenheim Palace and more recently Arundel Castle all being targeted for high value items.
You should be alert to anyone acting suspiciously whilst visiting your premises, including members of the visiting public and casual workers.
Our recommendations
Identify the risk
All operators of heritage properties should assess the risks and introduce suitable levels of security to combat them. Each risk needs individual consideration incorporating elements of staffing/stewarding and physical and electronic security measures. It’s worth reviewing existing security arrangements to see if the introduction of additional controls could prevent you being targeted. Special attention should be paid to well-known works which may be targeted.
You shouldn’t overlook the fact that theft can also result in considerable damage to your buildings, as well as the loss of valuable art work.
Fire safety, fire risk assessments and arson defence
Prevent fires before they happen with help from our fire safety guidance.
Electrical inspections and safety
According to the London Fire Brigade, in the last nine-year period there has been a 900% increase in fires of an electrical origin.
Where employees may be present the law requires a system of inspection, testing and maintenance of electrical systems, including wiring, switchgear, any fixed machinery and portable electrical appliances should be in place to prevent danger.
The recommended maximum period between inspection and testing is defined in BS7671 with examples given in the table below. However the age, use and condition of a system should be taken into consideration and may mean testing is required more often.
| Type of premises | Maximum period between inspections and testing |
|---|---|
| Churches, commercial, offices, shops, restaurants, hotels, residential, educational and village halls | 5 years |
| Industrial, public entertainment, leisure, theatre and agriculture | 3 years |
| Swimming pools | 1 year |
For more information, please view a dedicated guidance document from Ecclesiastical by clicking on the following picture:
Exercise increased vigilance around the management of contractors
- There should be clear signs directing contractors/visitors to a reception area
- Other access points to the property should be locked or supervised
- Proof of identity should be obtained from contractors who are unfamiliar to you.
- Unless contractors are going to be supervised, identity badges should be issued on arrival and collected at departure
- Details of contractors’ vehicles, and their arrival and departure times should be recorded.
Open days
It is not practical to screen every visitor to your property but you should review stewarding arrangements when open to the public, particularly areas where there is a high concentration of and/or potentially vulnerable artwork. Brief your staff on what to do if they see someone acting suspiciously.
Protecting works of art from damage and theft is never easy; a balance needs to be achieved between display and security.
It also pays to be alert to potential threats in the wider surrounding area e.g. influx of visitors perhaps attending a nearby event or unfamiliar vehicles in the locality. Experienced criminals often check out premises before taking action, so be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.
Work with your Insurer Broker
Ecclesiastical offer unrivalled service with the heritage industry and Rowlands & Hames are proud to work alongside them in ensuring the most comprehensive insurance cover and risk management facilities are provided.
The following video highlights some of the excellent facilities and support offered by Ecclesiastical:
Rowlands & Hames would like to thank Ecclesiastical Insurance for the above risk management advice.
Additional Reading
For more information, please see the latest “Heritage Barometer (March 2020) ” publication from Ecclesiastical.
The report covers some of the key concerns in the heritage sector and gives some useful best practice examples of the different uses of technology – from risk management to visitor engagement.
Funding, increasing costs and maintenance are the top three concerns in the research, with a number of other themes highlighting the need for the industry to adapt.
Additional Insurance Requirements
Rowlands & Hames are able to provide a number of additional covers which may be of interest, such as:
Defence costs against allegations of wrongdoing against individual directors’ & officers’ (and other senior staff) known as ‘D&O’, against the legal entity itself known as Corporate Liability; and defence costs and compensation payments in relation to employment disputes known as Employment Practices Liability.
Property Owners Insurance.
Contact the Team
Mike Watkinson Dip CII
- Business Development Director
- 01253 598973
- mike@rowlands-hames.co.uk
Testimonials
Many thanks to Rowlands & Hames, especially Gary Baxter who has helped and guided us through our insurances this last year, and problems [claims] when necessary. Your help and support are very much appreciated.
Further to all our communications and dealings over the last few months, we would like to thank you for your tenacity and achieving this result in respect to settling the above claim for £800.00. Please accept our thanks for keeping at the insurers and ensuring this favourable outcome.
I would have no hesitation in recommending Rowlands & Hames and Gary to individuals or corporate structures requiring insurance services. It is great peace of mind to know that a competent individual and broker is supporting both myself and my companies.
In response to the handling of a claim:
“Tony Swallow was excellent, a credit to Rowlands & Hames."
Further to all our communications and dealings over the last few months, we would like to thank you for your tenacity and achieving this result in respect to settling the above claim for £800.00. Please accept our thanks for keeping at the insurers and ensuring this favourable outcome.
Rowlands & Hames have always provided good advice, and have consistently ensured that my clients and I have appropriate and cost-effective insurance cover in place at all times, regardless of the complexities of the circumstances. Their claims-handling support is second to none in my experience.
Thank you so much for all of this and to Mike and Paul for making life so straightforward with renewal yet again. Our director has total confidence in the service you provide and is grateful for our longstanding partnership.
That’s great news Thanks for your persistence with this matter I am sure it made all the difference. It is nice to see someone go the extra mile for their customers even though it wasn’t really your problem. Once again thanks for the brilliant job and advice.
Regarding our latest newsletter: “What another classic example of Quality Customer Care – Sending out information like this is vital to ALL businesses and not just your Customers – so just to say you guys never cease to impress me.
The insurers were slow to make the payment once the claim settlement had been agreed. Our claims manager Colin chased this on our behalf. The service from Colin was wonderful, he communicated clearly and often and I really felt he was looking after our clam. Colin made the whole process quick and easy and took the stress out of it for us to thank you!
I would like to take this opportunity to commend one of your staff: Mike Watkinson.
This is customer service at its finest and Mike is surely a valuable and valued member of your staff.
Moving forward the team took the reigns in organizing the incident in a precise and methodical way. There were no delays, everyone was on site no later than Monday and everything generally ran smoothly throughout the refurbishment.
We received excellent service, speed and communication from Rowlands & Hames. The team that worked on my property were very knowledgeable, highly experienced, reliable and professional. They kept me up to speed as the job went a long. They were tidy and polite.
Paul has dealt with our business from day one and I have found him to be very knowledgeable and approachable.
We have been dealing with Trevor Taylor for many years and have always found him to be most helpful and professional in every way. His assistance in all aspects of out insurance has proved to be invaluable. I can recommend his service to anyone.
…service from Rowlands & Hames has been exceptional over the years.
I have to add that I have always been impressed by Tony’s help in the past for our commercial business insurance and I am equally so pleased in the way this insurance has been effected.
Just to let you know I have received payment from the insurance company.
May I take this opportunity to thank you and your colleagues for your help with this claim. You made it easier for me and kept me updated along the way.
Keep up the great work guys.
Great customer service from Gary Baxter and his team.
I have dealt with a number of other brokers in respect of our block policy prior to our agreement with R&H and am able to state confidently as the policyholder, I am more than satisfied and recommend without hesitation, the service given by your team being of an exceptionally high standard. Keep up the good work.
Thank you June – your response was very quick as usual, really good service
…the [travel] insurance has been fantastic and sorted everything out very promptly for him – his son is still out there with him and [the travel insurer] have covered all of that so thanks very much to them and you and Mike etc for all your help.
I would also like to inform you that I am leaving next Thursday. I would like to thank you for all your help and hard work that you have supported me with. Your service was incredible and I would recommend you with the highest regards to anyone. Thank you.
Thank you so much Colin to you and Tony for all your all efforts on our behalf. We cannot thank you enough.
I wanted to thank you very sincerely for obtaining the insurance claim monies for me. The system was very trouble free for me. It is a great help, and also gives me much confidence in case there are future problems. Meanwhile, very many thanks for your work regarding this issue.
I found the staff to be very efficient and professional and would recommend your company to anyone. Good job
Following a dispute with an insurer over temporary unoccupancy… “It’s today’s actions that will determine which and how companies come out of this. You have been brilliant and show the true value of having a broker. Catch up soon. Thanks
My associations with Rowlands & Hames goes back 20 years or so. I have always found them exemplary in any advice, claims etc. We recently had what we considered to be a potentially difficult public liability claim with a major client of ours but this was soon successfully concluded by John Isles and his very efficient team. I am extremely pleased with our involvement with this company.
I’ve always had great service from Rowlands Hames so would be happy to ask you for help with other insurances as they come up for renewal.
Many thanks for your assistance, you’ve been first class as always this is why we use professionals like yourselves.
great CSR to help us get our insurances ready for our first 6 employees starting next week
Many thanks to you for your support throughout the claim process. The true value of having a Broker is realised when a claim occurs.
I am grateful and very impressed with the care and understanding R&H’s claims team have shown throughout a stressful and difficult time for me. I got my Fiat Panda back today, all sparkly and repaired; without your excellent handling of my claim, the last few months would have been so much worse as I have recovered from my injury. I have been a customer of yours since Andrew Dalby days and your company has never let me down.
Thank you Paul and it is because of the relationship we have with you, the way you throw everything at getting us the best response from the insurers and the flexible support that you give us that enables us to get on with delivering our work and not being bogged down/ restricted as we have in the past with previous insurers/brokers so again, thank you!
Amazing, thank you so much for your speedy response Rachel, very much appreciated as always
Hi Mike,
My pleasure. Julie has spoken very highly of you too with your help on the management companies.
Thanks Colin. Great work as per usual by R&H. Much appreciated.
Hi Dan,
Firstly, thank you for putting in a late shift the other evening to get all our new insurance policy documents over. All received and I’ve reviewed them and can confirm that all the details are all correct and that all terms and conditions are understood and acceptable. Both - Thanks for all your work on our annual renewal. You make the whole process very straightforward!
Thanks for all of your support in this Mike, Everyone feels better knowing that R&H and yourself in particular are there – I certainly do.
Thank you very much for providing such a detailed review of my insurance options regarding my two BTL (Buy to Let) properties.
I contacted Rowlands & Hames recently regarding a complex business insurance policy. The guidance and advice from Gary was absolutely brilliant. I would not hesitate to recommend Gary and his team.
I am so grateful for Liz Kelly and her huge help in getting the insurance sorted for my property. I have been waiting for 6 months for the transfer of ownership from the land registry and am still waiting. As an executor of my father's will, it has been a long journey. In the last 3 years, I have lost my mother, father, and my partner all to cancer and dealt with probate 3 times now and property. For once, I have felt someone truly tried so hard to sort out the issues, and Liz, no fuss just wanted the right outcome for someone she doesn't even know not knowing as a person my history of loss. Liz, you are an angel. Thank you so much 💓. You deserve a huge Christmas bonus.
Wow what can I say other than yet again thank you to yourself and Colin for all of the hard work you have put into getting a result for us on this, we have gone backwards and forwards and not made it easy for you (certainly not on purpose!) this is an amazing result and we are incredibly surprised and happy! Thanks again both, you really do look after us and if there was an award for it you would win it!
I have had so many brokers emailing me over the last few weeks wishing to discuss how they can help us and I take great pleasure each time in mentioning the ongoing and great relationship we have with our brokers and that they cannot possibly compare – I am right every time!
Dear Paul
Whilst Janet has been your point of contact, and will remain so going forwards, I just wanted to say thank you for your diligence in this matter. We have been impressed by your feedback, and for my part I am relieved that our business interruption cover and documents cover Is now on a floating (non-location specific) basis. This has been a concern during our most recent renewals. We look forward to working with you going forwards, and hope to meet you in person soon.
