Listed Buildings and Thatched Properties: What You Need to Know About Insurance
Finding the right insurance for a listed thatched property is one of the more complex challenges in home insurance. As a non-standard home, most listed thatched properties are placed on a specialist listed-building insurance product. If you have been searching for cover and hitting dead ends, you are far from alone, and this guide explains what you need to know and why.
How many thatched properties are listed?
According to the Thatch Advice Centre, England has approximately 60,000 thatched properties, and an estimated 60% of these are listed. That is a significant proportion, and it matters enormously when arranging insurance.
Listed building status in England is assigned by Historic England and falls into three grades, which they state are divided as follows:
- Grade I listing covers buildings of exceptional interest, representing around 2.5% of all listed buildings nationally. Grade I thatched properties are exceptionally rare.
- Grade II* covers particularly important buildings of more than special interest, accounting for around 5.8%.
- Grade II describes most listed properties, with roughly 91.7% considered nationally important and of special interest.
For thatched property owners, the listing grade affects more than just planning restrictions. It influences the complexity of any reinstatement work after a claim, the materials that must be used, and the oversight required from the local planning authority. Even a standard Grade II listed thatched cottage carries obligations that set it apart from any ordinary home.
How listing affects rebuild value
When a listed thatched property suffers serious damage, whether from fire, storm, or flood, the reinstatement must be carried out to an approved standard. For listed buildings, that means like-for-like reinstatement using traditional materials and traditional methods. It is not enough simply to rebuild to the same size and layout; the fabric of the building must be restored to a condition acceptable to the local planning authority and, in many cases, to Historic England.
For the thatch itself, this means sourcing the appropriate material- water reed, long straw, or combed wheat reed- depending on what was original to the property and engaging a master thatcher with the relevant experience. Traditional lime plaster, hand-made brick, oak timber framing, and reclaimed materials may all be specified where they form part of the listed structure. These materials can be expensive, lead times can be long, and the craftspeople qualified to work with them are a limited and in-demand resource.
This is why standard rebuild calculators, including the widely used Association of British Insurers residential rebuild cost calculator, are unsuitable for listed properties. Those tools are calibrated to standard modern construction. A listed thatched cottage with lime renders, and historic timber frames may cost two, three, or even four times as much per square metre to reinstate as a conventional home of similar size. Using a standard calculator as the basis for your sum insured is one of the most common, and most damaging, mistakes that thatched property owners make.
Why standard insurers often cannot cover listed thatched properties
Thatched properties already sit outside the appetite of most high-street insurers due to the elevated fire risk associated with the roof material. Add listed status, and the pool of willing insurers is even smaller.
The reasons are straightforward. Standard home insurers may not be equipped to accurately assess the rebuild cost of a listed property, may not have the claims-handling relationships with specialist contractors necessary to manage reinstatement, and may not want to take on the open-ended liability that listed-building obligations can create. Some policies that cover thatch explicitly exclude listed buildings. Others that cover listed buildings exclude thatched roofs.
The result is that owners of listed thatched properties should consider working with a specialist broker with access to a small number of insurers in the specialist property market that genuinely understand and price this risk.
What a specialist policy must include
Not all specialist policies are created equal. When reviewing cover for a listed thatched property, several features should be considered essential rather than optional.
Reinstatement. A policy that limits reinstatement to modern equivalent construction is not appropriate for a listed building and may leave a listed building falling short of what’s needed to satisfy listed building consent and retain its character. The sum insured must reflect the full cost of rebuilding the property to the same specification.
Alternative accommodation. Reinstating a listed thatched property after a significant loss can take many months. Most policies, including Aviva’s, cap alternative accommodation cover at a fixed term (typically two years) rather than providing it for as long as repairs take.
Accidental damage cover. Listed buildings carry an elevated risk of accidental damage claims due to the vulnerability of historic fabric, lime plaster finishes, and exposed timber. Accidental damage cover should extend to both buildings and contents.
Trace and access. Finding the source of a leak in a property with lime plaster walls or original floorboards can be a delicate and costly exercise. Adequate trace and access cover is important.
Conservation officer engagement is standard. The insurer and its appointed loss adjusters should be experienced in working with local planning authorities and conservation officers as a matter of course.
Working with conservation officers after a claim
When a listed thatched property suffers significant damage, the reinstatement process involves more than simply engaging a contractor and beginning repair work. Any works that affect the character or fabric of a listed building require consent, and where damage has occurred, the local planning authority’s conservation officer will typically need to be involved before, during, and after the reinstatement.
In practice, this means that even straightforward repairs can take longer than they would on an unlisted property. Conservation officers may need to inspect the damage before any work begins, approve the material specifications, and sign off on the completed work. Where the damage is more extensive, a formally listed building consent application may be required, adding weeks or months to the process.
For property owners who have not dealt with this process before, it can be frustrating. The claims team at One Broker, a part of Jensten Group, understands the requirements of listed building reinstatement and can help coordinate the process between loss adjusters, specialist contractors, and the local planning authority. Having a broker in your corner who knows how the system works can make a material difference to how smoothly a claim progresses.
Find out more about thatched property insurance
Getting a quote for a listed thatched property
Arranging a specialist insurance quote for a listed thatched property requires a little more information than a standard home insurance application, but the process is straightforward when you know what to prepare.
You will typically need to provide the full address and listing grade, the construction materials for the walls and roof, the age of the property, the current thatching material and approximate age of the roof, recent thatching work or fire prevention measures installed (such as a spark arrestor or Class 1 fire retardant treatment), the current sum insured or, ideally, a specialist rebuild valuation, and details of any previous claims.
The specialist property team at One Broker has. They can assess your situation, identify the most appropriate cover, and explain clearly what your policy does and does not include. They work with you at renewal too, to ensure your cover keeps pace with any changes to the property or increases in reinstatement costs.
To discuss your listed thatched property insurance requirements, visit the thatched property insurance page or contact the specialist team directly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I insure a thatched property on a standard home insurance policy?
In most cases, no. Standard home insurers may lack the underwriting expertise, contractor relationships, or policy wording to appropriately cover listed thatched properties. Even policies that cover thatch or listed buildings individually may not cover the combination. A specialist broker like One Broker has an exclusive scheme underwritten by Aviva that can insure Grade II-listed thatched properties.
How do I know if my property is underinsured?
The most reliable method is to commission a specialist rebuilding cost assessment from a chartered surveyor experienced in historic buildings. The online standard rebuild calculators are not calibrated for listed properties; however, a RICS-accredited surveyor can provide a figure that reflects the true cost of like-for-like reinstatement, including specialist materials and labour.
Does listed building status affect my thatch fire risk?
Listed status does not directly increase fire risk, but it does significantly affect the cost and complexity of reinstatement after a fire. Because a listed property must be reinstated to an approved standard using traditional materials, the financial consequences of a thatch fire are potentially greater than for an unlisted property. Maintaining appropriate fire prevention measures remains important and may be a condition of your policy.
How long does reinstatement take for a listed thatched property?
Timescales vary depending on the extent of the damage and the complexity of the reinstatement required. Where conservation officer involvement and listed building consent are needed, it is not unusual for the process to take 18 months or more. Ensuring your policy provides alternative accommodation for the full duration of the repair period, rather than a fixed term, is an important consideration when reviewing cover.
Ready to arrange specialist cover for your listed thatched property?
The specialist One Broker property team at Jensten Insurance Brokers (East) understands the unique insurance requirements of listed thatched properties and has access to insurers who properly cover them.
Visit the thatched property insurance page to find out more.