A home can end up "non-standard" for reasons that have nothing to do with how it's built, and plenty that do. Unusual construction, from thatch to steel frame, is one route into it. So is letting the property out, leaving it unoccupied for long stretches, a past subsidence or flood claim, or simply owning more in contents than a standard policy's limits stretch to. Most people only discover their home falls outside the usual criteria when an insurer refuses to quote, or quotes at a price that doesn't match the risk.
Chris Knott Insurance arranges non-standard home insurance through a panel of specialist insurers who look at the property on its own terms, whether the issue is the building itself, its use, or its history.
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How a building is put together is the most common route in. Standard home insurance is priced around brick or stone walls with a tile roof, and anything built differently falls outside that assumption. Timber frame homes, whether a traditional oak frame or a more modern timber-clad build, are one of the most frequent categories, since the structural principles differ even when the outer finish looks conventional. Thatched roofs carry their own risk profile, mainly around fire, regardless of what the walls beneath are made from.
Steel frame, concrete, and prefabricated or modular homes are increasingly common but still sit outside what many standard insurers will quote for. Older building methods like cob and wattle and daub, along with roofs finished in anything other than tile or slate, such as flat roofs or shingle, push a property into this category too.
The building itself isn't the only route in, though. How a property is used matters just as much: holiday lets, homes run partly as a business, or properties left empty for months at a time all carry different risks than an owner-occupied family home. A history of subsidence or flooding, listed buildings, or a high volume of valuable contents can also push a property outside standard criteria, regardless of what it's built from.
Not sure if your property qualifies? Get a quote or call our team on 0800 917 2274 and we'll take a proper look.
A standard rebuild cost calculator assumes conventional materials and typical labour rates, which rarely holds once the materials involved are anything but ordinary. A thatched roof costs considerably more to replace than a tiled one, a timber frame or steel-framed property may need a specialist rather than a general builder, and cob or wattle and daub repairs often call for someone trained in traditional methods that aren't in everyday use.
Underinsuring against the wrong figure is one of the most common reasons this kind of claim ends up disputed, so getting a proper valuation matters more here than for a conventional home, whatever the reason the property is classed as non-standard.
A standard insurer refusing to quote, or quoting at an unusually high price, doesn't mean a property is uninsurable. It usually means the insurer's underwriting only covers a narrow range of standard risks, and anything outside that gets an automatic decline rather than a proper assessment. Specialist insurers underwrite non-standard property as their core business, so a previous decline elsewhere is a normal part of how someone ends up looking for this kind of cover, not a red flag against them.
Cover typically combines buildings and contents insurance, extended to reflect the property's actual construction, use and rebuild cost rather than a standard assumption.
Accidental damage cover is usually available as an add-on, alongside public liability if visitors or tenants are on the property, and alternative accommodation costs if the home becomes temporarily unliveable after a claim. If the property is a listed building as well as being unusually constructed, cover needs to account for both: the materials themselves and any restrictions the listing places on how repairs are carried out.
Most policies can also extend to a period of unoccupied cover, which matters if the property is being renovated or between tenants, since standard insurance often restricts this more tightly. The exact combination depends on why the property is classed as non-standard in the first place, which is why a proper assessment matters more here than with a standard policy.
Get cover matched to your property: get a quote or call 0800 917 2274.
Like any home insurance, a non-standard policy has limits. Common exclusions include:
The exact exclusions depend on the policy and why the property is non-standard, so the wording is always worth reading before you rely on it.
Often, yes. Many home insurance policies, non-standard ones included, cover the cost of replacing external door locks if your keys are lost or stolen, up to a set limit. It's worth checking that limit and whether window locks are included too, since this varies between policies.
Because Chris Knott works across a panel of specialist insurers rather than one, we can place a property with whichever insurer actually understands its particular risk, whether that's the construction, the use, or the claims history, instead of forcing it through underwriting it wasn't designed for.
We're a UK-based broker that's been arranging cover since 1983, with a 4.9-star Trustpilot rating from over 2,200 reviews you can check yourself, and we're not on the comparison sites. We're authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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The most common questions we're asked about non-standard home insurance. Can't find what you're looking for? Speak to our UK-based team on 0800 917 2274.
Everything relevant to the risk: the construction, how the property is used, its occupancy pattern, and any past flood or theft claims. Leaving out something you thought was unimportant can still count as non-disclosure, and that can mean a future claim being reduced, declined, or the policy being treated as invalid altogether, so it's worth being more thorough than feels necessary rather than less.
Not necessarily, and it isn't the only route into needing it either. A brick-built home can still be non-standard because of how it's used, its history of claims, or being left empty for long periods, while some unusually built homes are common enough that certain standard insurers cover them without issue. The only way to know for certain is to have the specific circumstances assessed rather than assumed based on the property type alone.
Often, yes. A property with otherwise conventional walls but a flat, thatched or unusually finished roof can still fall into this category, since roofing material affects fire risk and repair cost independently of what the walls are made from. It's the specific combination of elements that determines the classification, not just the most visible one.
Yes, and it's common rather than unusual, since older buildings built from traditional materials are exactly the kind that often end up listed. In that case, cover needs to account for both factors together: the construction materials themselves, and any restrictions the listing places on how repairs are carried out.
It varies more than standard home insurance, because the pricing depends on exactly what makes the property non-standard rather than a general risk band. Construction materials, location, security, claims history, and whether the property is occupied, let out, or vacant all affect the price, sometimes significantly. Getting an accurate rebuild valuation before you apply helps avoid paying for cover you don't need, or being underinsured if you don't.
You can make a claim by contacting our team directly, and we'll talk you through what's needed. Having your policy documents and details of what happened ready speeds things up, particularly where the claim relates to the specific reason the property was classed as non-standard in the first place.
Whatever kind of property you own, rent or let, we arrange specialist cover from a panel of leading insurers. Browse our full range below or speak to our team.
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Call our UK-based team on 0800 917 2274 or email enquiries@chrisknott.co.uk to get a quote based on a proper look at your property. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
