Building Insurance in London by Lemonade

Lucky enough to own a home in London? Protect your most
valuable asset with Lemonade building insurance
from just £25/month.

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How much is building insurance in London?

Building insurance in London runs between £25 and £30 per month. What you’ll actually pay depends on your property value, rebuild costs, location, and any add-ons you choose.
Wondering how London stacks up? Here’s how the average cost compares to other UK cities.

City	Average monthly cost
Manchester	£20-£25
Bristol	£15-£20
Edinburgh	£20-£25
Birmingham	£15-£20

Insurance built for London homeowners

Mortgages, maintenance, service charges. Owning a home is already a lot.
We keep the insurance bit simple.

Change your cover in the app, cancel anytime, and get claims sorted quickly.

No extra fees

Want to add an add-on cover? Do it yourself in the app. No admin fees, no phone calls, no waiting for someone to “update your records.”

Cancel anytime

Selling up, remortgaging, or just found a better deal? Cancel in seconds. No forms, no hold music, no exit fees.

Claims handled fast

Most claims get sorted quickly. Because when your roof’s leaking or your boiler’s broken, you need it fixed now, not next month.

What does Lemonade building insurance protect in London?

Building insurance protects your property’s structure against various potential damages (or ‘perils‘ if we’re being proper about it). Here’s what is (and isn’t) covered:

Roof & chimney damage
External walls & foundations
Windows & doors
Internal walls & ceilings
Plumbing & heating systems
Electrical wiring & fittings
Built-in kitchen units
Bathroom suites & fittings

What’s not covered: General maintenance, gradual deterioration, damage from lack of upkeep, and the 45 minutes you’ll never get back waiting for the Northern line to sort itself out

What else does Lemonade building insurance cover in London?

Building insurance covers more than just bricks and mortar. From hotel bills if your home becomes uninhabitable, to legal costs if your property damages someone else’s.
Here’s what’s included:

Property liability

Loose roof tile damages your neighbor’s car? We’ll cover compensation costs and legal bills when your property accidentally damages someone else’s stuff.

Alternative accomodation

House uninhabitable after a fire? We’ll cover hotel costs while your home gets rebuilt or repaired.

Outbuilding cover

A storm damages your home and detached shed? We’ll cover damage to your garden sheds, garages, and other structures around your property.

Want more cover? Here’s what you can add-on in London.

No two London properties are the same. Top up your cover with the extras that make sense for your home. Take what fits, leave what doesn’t.

Theft & Loss cover

Bike nicked outside King's Cross? Phone goes missing after drinks in Shoreditch? Essential for London's busy streets and nightlife. We'll cover theft and loss outside your home, plus sort your locks if your keys disappear. Only available for buildings policies with contents cover.

Legal Protection cover

From property boundary disputes in Clapham to planning permission battles in Camden, we'll provide legal backup beyond your basic cover for London's complex property landscape.

Accidental Damage cover

Knocked over your favourite vase rushing to catch the Tube? Spilt wine on your sofa in a cramped Zone 2 flat? Perfect for London living and those inevitable mishaps. Only available for buildings policies with contents cover.

Accidental Damage to Mobile Devices cover

Dropped your phone on the Northern Line? Cracked your screen at a Brixton gig? No trekking across London to repair shops – BeValued collects from anywhere in the city. Only available for buildings policies with contents cover.

Home Emergency cover

Victorian terrace boiler packed up during a London winter? Locked yourself out after a night in Soho? 24/7 help for the capital's period property problems.

Accidental damage to property

Accidentally nick an underground pipe while gardening? Hit a loose stone while mowing the grass that cracks a window? We've got you covered for the accidental mishaps that damage the structure of your home.

How can I save on London building insurance?

London property prices are eye-watering enough.
Here are a few ways to keep your insurance premium in check.

Bundle

Combine your buildings and contents policies for instant multi-policy discounts. Plus, you can manage everything in one place.

Higher excess

Higher excess = lower premiums. But weigh it up, as you’ll pay more out of pocket when you do claim, so find the sweet spot.

Pay in one go

Annual payments earn you up to 5% off and skip those pesky monthly fees. Less hassle, more savings.

The real risks of owning a home in London

The data doesn’t lie. Here’s what London homeowners were up against in 2025:

112

Average days of rainfall over 1mm over a 30 year period

4,364

Accidental fires reported in the past year. When kitchen disasters meet dodgy electrics, your walls feel it too.

58%

Of accidental fires recorded were electrical fires. Old wiring, new problems… and your property pays the price.

London building insurance FAQs

What types of homes are most common in London and how does that affect my cover?

London’s housing stock is hugely varied, but Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses make up a large chunk of the city’s homes, alongside a growing number of purpose-built flats, particularly in inner-city areas. Older period properties can be more expensive to rebuild due to specialist materials and labour, so it’s important your buildings insurance reflects the true rebuild cost of your home rather than its market value. Flat owners in shared buildings should also check whether their building is covered by a freeholder’s policy before taking out their own.

Is flooding a risk for homeowners in London?

Yes, and it’s more significant than many people realise. Estimates suggest over a quarter of London’s properties are at risk of surface water flooding, driven by the capital’s heavily built-up environment, which can limit drainage during heavy rainfall. River flooding from the Thames is also a consideration in lower-lying areas, and flood risk is expected to increase over time as the climate changes.

What are the biggest property risks for homeowners in London?

London homeowners face a combination of surface water flooding, subsidence, and property crime risk. The capital’s heavily built-up environment can limit drainage during heavy rainfall, contributing to surface water flood risk. Clay-rich soils in parts of Greater London can also make properties more susceptible to subsidence during prolonged dry periods. Burglary rates can be higher than average in some areas, making security an important consideration.

What's the difference between buildings and contents insurance?

Buildings insurance covers the structure of your home, the walls, roof, floors, windows, and permanent fixtures like fitted kitchens and bathrooms. Contents insurance covers the stuff inside it, your furniture, clothes, electronics, and personal belongings. A simple way to think about it: if you picked your home up and turned it upside down, everything that falls out is contents. Everything that stays put is buildings. With Lemonade, you can get buildings-only cover, contents-only cover, or both together.

When should I take out buildings insurance when buying a home?

You should take out buildings insurance from the moment you exchange contracts, not completion. Once contracts are exchanged, you’re legally committed to the purchase, which means if something happens to the property before you get the keys, you could still be liable. It’s one of those things that’s easy to leave to the last minute, but worth sorting as soon as your solicitor confirms exchange is happening. With Lemonade, you can get covered quickly online, no lengthy paperwork, no phone queues.

All coverage is subject to individual policy limits, terms, and conditions. Any hypothetical examples used in Lemonade editorial content are purely expositional. Hypothetical examples do not alter or bind Lemonade to any application of your insurance policy to the particular facts and circumstances of any actual claim. The costs shown in this article are based on internal Lemonade data as of April, 2026. Fire data sourced from gov.uk. Rainfall data sourced from Met Office, average rainfall taken from closest climate station to city.