Who Chooses the Contractor on an Insurance Repair?
Shortly after a claim is accepted, most people are told which contractor will be doing the work. It is presented as a given. In most UK policies, it is not.
What Your Policy Usually Says
The majority of UK buildings policies allow you to appoint your own contractor, provided two conditions are met: the cost is reasonable, and the scope matches the agreed schedule of works.
Insurers do not usually volunteer this. They have panel arrangements with negotiated rates and established processes, and directing work through them is faster and cheaper for the insurer. That is a legitimate commercial preference — it is not a contractual requirement, and it is worth checking your own wording rather than assuming.
A minority of policies do apply a different excess or a different settlement basis where you use your own contractor. Read the relevant clause, and get the insurer's confirmation in writing before instructing anyone. Instructing first and asking later is how people end up funding the difference themselves.
The Case for the Insurer's Contractor
- Speed. They are set up for insurance work, know the paperwork, and bill the insurer directly. You are not chasing approvals
- No cash flow burden. You do not pay and reclaim; the insurer settles directly
- Vetted and insured. Panel membership generally requires accreditation and adequate insurance
- Escalation route. If the work is poor, the insurer has a commercial relationship with them and an interest in resolving it
For a straightforward claim where you mainly want the property fixed with minimum involvement, this is often the sensible choice.
The Case for Your Own Contractor
- Influence over specification and finish. Panel work is priced to volume agreements; a contractor working directly for you is more responsive on detail
- Scheduling. Panel contractors juggle insurer workloads and you may wait
- Continuity. If a firm already carried out your drying and holds the moisture data, having them rebuild removes the handover gap entirely
- Local knowledge. Particularly relevant for period properties, listed buildings or unusual construction
The Handover Gap
This is the argument that gets least attention and causes the most trouble.
Insurance work often splits in two: a restoration firm handles mitigation — make-safe, strip-out, decontamination, drying — and a separate builder handles the rebuild. Between them sits a gap where the property is stripped out and nothing happens while a builder is found, priced and scheduled.
Worse, the builder was not present for the drying. They have no record of whether the structure reached target moisture content, and no stake in whether it did. So plaster goes back over material that is still wet, and the work fails within months — usually after the claim has closed.
Whichever route you choose, ask one question: who is responsible for confirming the property was dry before rebuilding started? If the answer is "the other contractor", you have found the weak point in your claim.
How to Decide
Use the insurer's contractor if the claim is straightforward, you want minimum involvement, cash flow matters, or you have no contractor you already trust.
Use your own contractor if the property is unusual or period, finish quality matters to you, you already have a firm holding the drying data, or you have had a poor experience with the panel firm previously.
Practical Steps
- Ask your insurer, in writing, whether you may appoint your own contractor and whether doing so changes the excess or settlement basis
- Get the agreed schedule of works before obtaining quotes, so everyone prices the same scope
- Obtain two or three quotes against that schedule
- Confirm the insurer accepts your chosen contractor and price before work starts
- Keep every approval in writing
Talk to Us
Flash Restorations works on insurance reinstatement across the UK, both as an appointed contractor and directly for policyholders. Because we carry out drying and rebuild, there is no handover gap and no ambiguity about whether the structure was ready.
Call 0800 123 4567, or see property reinstatement and our guide to reading a schedule of works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use my insurer's approved contractor?
Usually not. Most UK buildings policies allow you to appoint your own contractor provided the cost is reasonable and the scope matches the agreed schedule of works. A minority of policies apply a different excess or settlement basis if you do, so confirm the position in writing before instructing anyone.
Is the insurer's contractor worse than my own?
Not inherently. Panel contractors are vetted, insured and used to insurance paperwork, which genuinely speeds claims up. The trade-off is that they work to volume agreements with the insurer, so you have less influence over scheduling, specification and finish quality.
Who is liable if the insurer's contractor does poor work?
The contractor remains liable for their workmanship, but because the insurer appointed them you generally have a stronger route to escalate through the insurer, who has a commercial relationship with them. If you appoint your own contractor, any dispute is directly between you and them.
Can I get a cash settlement and choose my own builder later?
Often yes. Insurers will frequently offer a cash settlement calculated from the schedule of works, usually lower than the managed repair figure because it excludes their contractor margins. You then control the work, but you also absorb any cost overruns.