BUILDING INSURANCE CLAIM LETTER
Important legal advice, jurisdiction and formality warning
This fictional letter is a worked example, not legal advice, a guarantee of cover or a substitute for the insurer’s claim form. It is written for a buildings policy and a property in England and Wales. The policy wording, excess, exclusions, notification conditions, sums insured, leases, mortgage terms, repair duties and any applicable Financial Conduct Authority rules must be checked. Do not admit liability, discard damaged materials or authorise permanent works that prevent inspection without first obtaining appropriate advice. An insurer, loss adjuster, ombudsman or court may reach a different conclusion. Obtain independent legal, surveying and insurance advice before relying on this sample.
5 December 2027
To: Claims Department, Harbour & County Insurance plc, 88 St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1QJ Email: claims@harbourcounty.example.test Policy: Buildings and Landlord Policy HCI-BLD-770418 Insured: Northbridge Estates Limited, company number 15290418 Insured address: 6 Linton Parade, Birmingham B15 2RD Insured building: 6 Linton Parade, Birmingham B15 2RD Claim reference: HC-27-60491
Dear Claims Team,
I write for Northbridge Estates Limited to notify and substantiate its claim following an escape of water at the insured building on 28 November 2027. The building contains a ground-floor café and two flats above it. The incident arose when a failed flexible connector beneath the first-floor flat’s kitchen sink discharged water while the flat was unoccupied. The managing agent, Amelia Grant, discovered the loss at 7:42 a.m. after the café tenant reported water entering through the ceiling. The supply was isolated at 7:55 a.m.
The incident was reported through your emergency line at 9:18 a.m. on 28 November. Your adviser Connor Bell issued the claim reference above and said that a loss adjuster would be appointed. Riverside Claims Services, represented by Helen Okafor, telephoned on 29 November and arranged a visit for 7 December. The policy schedule shows a buildings sum insured of £612,000, an escape-of-water excess of £500, and a policy period from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028. We ask you to confirm in writing whether the stated peril and policy period respond, subject to your investigation.
1. Emergency mitigation and evidence
The emergency plumber, Midland Flow Response Limited, attended at 8:25 a.m. on 28 November. Its report says the braided connector had split at the crimp and was no longer safe. The plumber isolated the branch, removed standing water, installed temporary drying equipment and made the affected cupboard safe. Its invoice MFR-11984, dated 29 November, is £1,260.00 including VAT. A second visit on 30 November to collect the dryer and check moisture levels cost £180.00, invoice MFR-12002. The total emergency mitigation cost is therefore £1,440.00.
We photographed the connector, the water staining, affected plasterboard, the café ceiling, the first-floor kitchen units and the drying readings before removal. The failed connector is sealed in a labelled bag at 6 Linton Parade for inspection. We have retained the plumber’s report, photographs with timestamps, the maintenance log, the tenant’s incident email, the policy schedule and the lease plan. The café remained open after a temporary protective enclosure was installed, but the first-floor kitchen is not presently usable.
The building was inspected by Rook & Alder Surveyors on 2 December. Their preliminary report identifies saturated plasterboard to the café ceiling below the kitchen, damaged paint and insulation, lifted laminate flooring in the first-floor kitchen, swollen plinth panels, and damp readings in the adjoining hallway. Their report does not yet determine whether concealed joists or wiring require replacement. They recommend controlled drying until readings stabilise and removal of damaged finishes under supervision.
2. Repair estimate
The current like-for-like repair schedule is:
1. Emergency mitigation, comprising plumbing, standing-water removal and initial drying: £1,440.00, already incurred. 2. Remove and dispose of damaged plasterboard, insulation and ceiling finishes in the café: £2,160.00. 3. Replace the café ceiling, skim, seal and redecorate the affected 42 square metres: £3,780.00. 4. Replace the first-floor kitchen laminate flooring and four plinth panels on a like-for-like basis: £2,460.00. 5. Test the affected electrical circuits and make good safely: £620.00. 6. Surveyor monitoring, moisture report and completion inspection: £1,150.00.
The physical works subtotal is £9,020.00, being £2,160.00 + £3,780.00 + £2,460.00 + £620.00. Adding the £1,150.00 surveyor fee and the £1,440.00 emergency mitigation gives a current estimate of £11,610.00. The estimate is not a final settlement because concealed damage may be found and VAT recovery depends on the insured’s status. It does not include a betterment claim, business-interruption loss or an upgrade to the café’s finishes. The café tenant has not claimed interruption losses from Northbridge, and none is presently included.
Rook & Alder obtained quotations from Bramble Construction Midlands and Crown Electrics Birmingham. The lowest compliant quotations total £9,020.00 for physical works, before the £1,150.00 surveyor fee and £1,440.00 emergency mitigation already incurred. We invite your adjuster to inspect before permanent stripping-out, while reserving the right to proceed with reasonably necessary works if delay would increase damage, mould or safety risk.
3. Requests for handling and payment
Please confirm by 12 December 2027 whether Harbour & County accepts the claim in principle and whether Riverside Claims Services has authority to approve emergency mitigation. We request an interim payment of £1,440.00 for the documented emergency work by 19 December 2027, subject to the policy excess and any lawful coverage position. If the escape-of-water excess of £500 applies, the requested interim payment after deduction is £940.00, with the balance of the mitigation cost reserved pending settlement. Please explain if the insurer proposes to apply the excess differently.
Please arrange the loss-adjuster inspection on 7 December and provide a written scope of approved works within seven days after receiving the preliminary report. We ask for a reasoned coverage decision on the current estimate within 21 days after inspection. If you require invoices, proof of ownership, access records, maintenance records or information about the failed connector, please identify the request clearly. Northbridge will give reasonable cooperation and access, but it does not admit that it or any tenant was negligent. It reserves any recovery rights against a manufacturer, installer, tenant or other responsible person after the cause is established.
The insurer should handle and assess the claim promptly and fairly under the policy and applicable regulation. If you reject or reduce any element, please identify the precise policy wording, factual basis, valuation, excess and evidence relied upon. Please also confirm whether temporary accommodation, alternative trading arrangements or professional fees are covered; no such additional payment is claimed in this letter.
If the claim is not resolved, Northbridge will use Harbour & County’s formal complaints procedure and ask for a final response. It may then refer an eligible complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within the applicable time limit, or consider court proceedings after taking advice. This paragraph is not a threat or an admission of jurisdiction. All rights and remedies are reserved, including rights concerning interest, mitigation and subrogation.
Please address substantive correspondence to Amelia Grant, Claims and Property Manager, at amelia.grant@northbridge.example.test and 6 Linton Parade, Birmingham B15 2RD. The company’s director, Marcus Julian Holt, is authorised to sign this notification.
Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of Northbridge Estates Limited
Marcus Julian Holt Director
Signature: ____________________ Date: 5 December 2027