Quick answer: Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your home — walls, roof, floors, fixtures, and outbuildings — against damage from fire, storm, flood, theft, and subsidence. If you have a mortgage, your lender will require it as a condition of lending. Cover is based on rebuild cost, not market value — and these figures can differ significantly.
What is Buildings Insurance?
Buildings insurance is a policy that pays for the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home if it suffers damage. It covers the main structure (bricks, mortar, roof, walls, floors) and attached features, but does not cover your personal belongings — for those, you need a separate contents insurance policy.
Buildings cover is primarily relevant to: - Homeowners — responsible for insuring the property, and typically required to by their mortgage lender - Landlords — responsible for insuring a property they rent out (while tenants insure their own belongings) - Self-builders — a structural warranty and specialist policy is typically needed during construction
If you are renting, you do not need buildings insurance — your landlord is responsible for that.
What Does Buildings Insurance Cover?
A standard buildings policy typically covers damage caused by:
| Risk | Usually Covered |
|---|---|
| Fire, smoke, explosion | ✓ |
| Lightning and earthquake | ✓ |
| Storm | ✓ |
| Flood | Usually ✓, but not guaranteed in flood-risk areas (see note below) |
| Falling trees or branches | ✓ |
| Falling aerials, satellite dishes | ✓ |
| Aircraft impact, vehicle collision | ✓ |
| Theft or attempted theft | ✓ |
| Vandalism and riot | ✓ |
| Water leaks, burst pipes, oil spills | ✓ |
| Subsidence, landslip, ground heave | ✓ |
Flood cover is not guaranteed. Ireland has no State-backed flood reinsurance scheme (unlike the UK's Flood Re), and insurers are not obliged to offer flood cover. Roughly 1 in 20 properties — concentrated in parts of Dublin, Cork, Louth, Clare and Kildare — has limited or no access to flood insurance. If a property has a history of flooding or sits in a flood-risk area, confirm flood cover specifically before you buy, and check the OPW flood maps at floodinfo.ie.
Most policies also include alternative accommodation cover — if your home becomes uninhabitable following a covered event (such as a serious flood or fire), the insurer covers the cost of temporary housing while repairs are carried out.
What is Not Covered?
Standard exclusions in most policies include:
- Deliberate damage caused by someone in the household
- General wear and tear — insurers don't pay for gradual deterioration
- Faulty workmanship, design defects, or substandard materials
- Pest damage (e.g. dry rot, rodent damage)
- Frost damage on external pipes
- Leaking gutters (maintenance issue)
- Damage while the property is unoccupied — most policies include a clause that voids or limits cover if the property is empty for a set consecutive period (typically 30 days or more). This is important to check if you plan to be away for an extended period or own a holiday home.
Always check the actual policy wording, because cover and exclusions vary significantly between insurers.
Optional Add-Ons
Insurers offer optional extras for risks not covered as standard:
- Accidental damage to buildings — covers sudden, unintentional damage to ceilings, walls, kitchens, and other structural features
- Trace and access — covers the cost of removing parts of the building to find and fix a water, oil, or gas leak
- Replacement of external locks — if your keys are stolen in a break-in
- Breakage of fixed glass and sanitary fittings — replacing windows, skylights, washbasins, or baths if accidentally broken
- Fire brigade charges — if the local authority charges for attending a fire at your property
Only add the extras relevant to your home and circumstances, as they increase the premium.
Rebuild Cost vs. Market Value — A Critical Distinction
Buildings insurance covers the rebuild cost of your home — what it would cost to demolish the existing structure and build a replacement from scratch. This is not the same as market value.
- In areas of high demand (Dublin, coastal counties), the market value of a property often exceeds the rebuild cost
- For unusual or listed properties, the rebuild cost can exceed market value
- Insuring for the wrong amount means either over-paying on premiums (if rebuild cost is too high) or being underinsured (if it's too low) — and you would not receive more than the actual rebuild cost in a claim
To calculate rebuild cost accurately, use the free House Rebuild Calculator from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI). The SCSI calculator is widely used by insurers and takes into account house type, floor area, number of storeys, and regional construction costs.
Some providers use a simpler bedroom-rated method — based on number of bedrooms. This is less accurate and often leads to underinsurance for larger or extended properties.
BER Discounts
Some insurers now offer premium discounts for homes with a BER rating of B3 or higher. Energy-efficient homes are built to higher construction standards, better insulated, and have modern heating and electrical systems — all of which reduce certain types of risk. Check whether your insurer applies a green discount when getting quotes.
Getting a Quote — Information You'll Need
When applying for buildings insurance, insurers typically ask for:
- Property type (house, apartment, semi-detached, etc.)
- Year built
- Roof type (tile, slate, flat, thatched)
- Heating system type
- Number of smoke detectors
- Whether an alarm is fitted (and if it's monitored)
- History of flooding or subsidence in the area
- Whether you are resident or the property is rented out
Always provide accurate information. Providing incorrect details — even unintentionally — can invalidate your policy and mean your claim is rejected.
Tips for Reducing Your Premium
- Combine buildings and contents — a combined home insurance policy is usually cheaper than two separate policies
- Multi-policy discount — using the same insurer for car or life insurance can earn a discount
- No-claims bonus — avoid claiming for small losses to preserve your claims-free record; five consecutive claim-free years can earn a significant discount
- Shop around — insurance prices vary considerably; compare at least three quotes before renewing or purchasing
Common Questions
Q: Do I need buildings insurance if I own a leasehold apartment? For apartments, the buildings insurance is usually arranged and paid for by the management company (using service charge funds). As an apartment owner, you typically need contents insurance and public liability cover — check your lease and management company policy carefully to understand what you are and are not covered for.
Q: My policy says the house is covered for €350,000 but it's worth €500,000 — is that right? Yes, it can be. Remember that buildings insurance covers the rebuild cost, not the market value. A property worth €500,000 on the market might be insurable for €280,000–€350,000 to rebuild from scratch. Use the SCSI Rebuild Calculator to verify your number is in the right range.