A chipped granite worktop, a cracked bath or a scratched porcelain tile can be expensive to replace. Many homeowners wonder: can I claim the cost on my home insurance? The answer depends on your policy type, what caused the damage, and how the claim compares to the cost of professional repair. This article helps you understand your options.
Standard Home Insurance: Buildings and Contents
Standard home insurance policies in the UK cover two areas: buildings insurance (the structure of the property) and contents insurance (your possessions inside). Surface damage to fitted kitchens and bathrooms generally falls under buildings insurance, since fitted worktops, baths and tiles are considered part of the fabric of the property.
However, standard buildings insurance covers specific insured events — fire, flood, storm, subsidence, burst pipes, vandalism — and does not cover accidental damage by default. A worktop chipped by dropping a pan, or a bath cracked by a heavy object, is accidental damage and will not be covered under a standard policy.
Accidental Damage Cover
Many home insurance policies offer an optional accidental damage add-on, either for buildings, contents or both. If you have accidental damage cover on your buildings insurance, a chip or crack caused by an accident — such as dropping something — may be claimable.
Before making a claim, consider:
- Your excess — if your policy excess is £250–£500 and professional repair costs £150–£350, a claim may not be worthwhile, and making a claim will affect your no-claims discount
- The insurer’s repair approach — some insurers will authorise a specialist repair; others will insist on replacement, which can be significantly more disruptive
- The impact on future premiums — making a small claim often raises your renewal premium by more than the claim was worth over the following years
When Professional Repair Is the Better Choice
For many typical surface damage scenarios — a single chip in a worktop, a crack in a bath, a tile corner chipped — professional repair costs less than your excess, and far less than the impact on future premiums from making a claim. Our repairs typically range from £75–£250 for most common damage, which is often the more financially sensible route even when insurance cover exists.
Landlord Insurance
Landlord insurance policies sometimes include accidental damage by tenants as standard or as an add-on. If a tenant has caused surface damage, it’s worth checking your landlord policy before deciding whether to claim, deduct from the deposit, or arrange a direct repair. Surface repair is often the quickest, most affordable resolution for end-of-tenancy damage.
Get a free surface repair quote — often cheaper than your excess →
