Structural damage has a long memory. Even when repairs look tidy and everything feels solid again, insurers still want to know what happened, why it happened, and whether it could happen again.
This is not about panic. It is about understanding how risk is assessed once a building’s structure has been questioned.
What counts as prior structural damage
Structural damage goes beyond hairline cracks and cosmetic defects.
Insurers usually mean damage that affected the stability, load-bearing elements or integrity of the building at some point in its history.
- Subsidence, heave or landslip
- Foundation movement or failure
- Structural cracking requiring investigation
- Damage from fire, flood or impact affecting the structure
- Failed or defective structural alterations
The age of the damage matters less than how it was dealt with.
Why past damage still matters to insurers
Insurers work on patterns, not reassurance.
If a structure has failed once, they assume there is a reason. Their job is to decide whether that reason still exists.
Repairs alone do not answer that question. Evidence does.
Repaired damage versus unresolved issues
There is a clear difference between historic damage and ongoing concern.
Damage that was properly investigated, repaired and monitored is usually treated as historic. Damage that was patched up without a clear diagnosis raises far more questions.
Insurers tend to focus on whether movement or deterioration has stopped.
What insurers usually ask for
Expect specific questions.
- Cause of the original damage
- Structural engineer or surveyor reports
- Details of repair work carried out
- Dates of repairs and inspections
- Evidence of stability since repairs
Clear answers tend to lead to workable terms. Vague ones do not.
How policy terms often change
Insurance is usually offered with adjustments.
These changes are typically targeted at the known risk rather than applied across the whole policy.
- Higher excesses linked to structural claims
- Exclusions for repeat damage of the same type
- Conditions requiring ongoing maintenance
- Limits on cover for specific parts of the structure
This is standard practice, not a sign of rejection.
Buying a house with a damage history
New owners inherit the structural record.
Even if damage occurred long before purchase, future insurers will still ask about it. The responsibility to disclose does not disappear with ownership changes.
This can affect both premium and insurer choice.
Non-disclosure causes the biggest problems
Hiding historic damage creates far more risk than declaring it.
Structural claims are investigated thoroughly. Undisclosed history often surfaces during loss adjustment, not at application stage.
Claims declined for non-disclosure are far harder to challenge than higher premiums.
Structural alterations and previous damage
Alterations complicate matters.
Extensions, loft conversions and internal structural changes can interact with past damage in ways insurers care about. They will usually ask whether alterations were designed with the original issue in mind.
Building control sign-off and structural calculations help here.
Rebuild costs after structural damage
Rebuild figures often change after structural repairs.
Specialist foundations, engineering input and access requirements can all increase reconstruction costs. Using outdated rebuild values is a common mistake.
Insurers expect rebuild figures to reflect the current structure, not its original form.
How insurers assess risk overall
Insurers look for a consistent story.
Damage identified, cause understood, repairs appropriate, stability demonstrated. When those elements line up, houses with prior structural damage are usually insurable.