Figures in this article come from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Property Insurance Premium Tracker, which records the prices customers actually paid (not quoted prices) across about 15.5 million policies a year. Each figure gives the quarter it covers. What you pay depends on your home, your claims history and the cover you choose. This article doesn't cover the whole market.

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Average Home Insurance Cost

In April to June 2026, the average price paid for home insurance was:

Source: ABI, published 3 August 2026.

Buying buildings and contents as two separate policies (£309 + £118 = £427) cost about £44 more than the average combined policy.

How home insurance prices have changed

Average combined buildings and contents premium, by quarter:

Source: ABI quarterly releases from August 2024 to August 2026. Some figures come from the year-on-year comparisons in later releases, which can revise earlier quarters by around £1.

Prices peaked at £399 in July to September 2024. After a small rise in early 2025, they fell for four quarters in a row to £375 in January to March 2026. For comparison, the ABI's average for 2023 as a whole was £341.

How much are home insurance claims?

Claim costs have been rising, especially for weather damage. According to the ABI:

• 2025 as a whole:

  the average home insurance claim was about £6,000, up 15% on 2024. The average flood claim was about £30,000 (up 60%), and the average storm damage claim was £2,450 (up £750). Insurers paid a record £6.1bn in property claims (homes and businesses).

• January to March 2026:

  the average household claim was £6,340, up 20% on a year earlier.

• April to June 2026:

  the average home insurance claim passed £7,000 for the first time.

Average claims by type, April to June 2026:

Insurers paid £72m for domestic subsidence claims in that quarter. Rising claim costs are one reason premiums can go up.

What affects the price

Rebuild cost. The rebuild cost is what it would cost to rebuild your home from scratch. It's one of the main factors in the price of buildings cover. Listed buildings and homes built with specialist materials usually cost more to rebuild and to insure. Read more about the average cost to rebuild a house.

Level of cover. Lower-priced policies often leave out accidental damage, legal expenses and home emergency cover. Higher-tier policies may include them. You can usually add them for an extra cost, and sometimes a higher-tier policy costs less than a basic policy with add-ons.

Excess. The excess is the amount you pay towards a claim.

• A compulsory excess is set by the insurer and can't be changed. Some insurers set it at £0.

• A voluntary excess is an amount you choose to add on top. A higher total excess usually lowers the premium, but you'd pay more if you claimed.

No-claims discount. Many insurers give a discount for each year without a claim, usually up to a maximum. Discounts vary between insurers. If you make a claim and your discount isn't protected, you may lose some or all of it.

Location and property. Insurers consider local risks such as flooding, subsidence and crime, as well as the type of property, the share of flat roof and the security (for example, the locks on external doors).

Paying monthly

Paying monthly is often a credit agreement, and the insurer or a finance company may charge interest. For example, at a 21% APR, a £383 policy paid monthly would cost about £35.34 a month, or about £424 over the year. That's around £41 (11%) more than paying upfront. Some insurers charge less, or nothing, for paying monthly, so check the APR and the total amount payable before you choose.

Buildings insurance

Buildings insurance covers the structure of a property and its permanent fixtures, such as walls, the roof, windows, doors, drains, fitted kitchens and bathrooms, and fitted wardrobes. A useful test is what you'd leave behind if you moved. Fitted items are usually part of the building, and items you'd take with you are usually contents. Carpets are usually treated as contents, while laminate or wooden flooring is usually part of the building. This varies by insurer.

• Mortgage lenders usually require buildings insurance as a condition of the loan.

• Tenants don't need buildings insurance. The property owner is responsible for it.

• Subsidence and some roof damage are usually covered, but insurers may set limits or exclusions, especially if there has been a previous subsidence claim. Insurers may refuse roof claims where the damage results from wear and tear or poor maintenance, so keep records of any repairs.

Flats

For flats, the lease sets out who is responsible for insuring the building. This is usually the freeholder or a management company, and the cost is recovered through the service charge. Check your lease to find out who insures the building and what the policy covers. Land Registry records show who owns the freehold.

If you rent a flat, the landlord is responsible for the buildings insurance.

Giving accurate information

When you get a quote, you'll be asked questions such as when you bought the property, what locks are on the external doors and what share of the roof is flat. Check these details, for example against floor plans. If information you give an insurer is wrong because of carelessness, the insurer can reduce a claim payment in proportion. If it's deliberate or reckless, the insurer can cancel the policy.

Where the insurer would not have offered cover had it received the correct information, a qualifying careless misrepresentation can allow it to avoid the policy and refuse all claims, normally returning the premium. Remedies depend on what the insurer would have done with accurate information: it may apply different policy terms, reduce a payment proportionately if it would have charged more, or avoid the policy and refuse claims, normally refunding premiums, if it would not have insured the risk.

Contents insurance

Contents insurance covers belongings that can be moved, against risks such as fire, theft, smoke and flood. Accidental damage, cover for items away from home (such as bikes), legal expenses and home emergency cover may be included or available as add-ons.

Tenants need their own contents insurance to cover their belongings. A landlord's contents policy only covers the landlord's own items. Contents insurance isn't compulsory.

FAQs

How much is home insurance in the UK? According to the ABI, the average price paid for combined buildings and contents insurance was £383 in April to June 2026. The average was £309 for buildings only and £118 for contents only.

How much is home insurance per month? That depends on the price of your policy and whether you're charged interest for paying monthly. For example, a £383 policy would cost about £32 a month with no interest, or about £35 a month at a 21% APR.

Have home insurance prices gone up or down? The ABI's average fell for four quarters in a row, from £396 in January to March 2025 to £375 in January to March 2026. It then rose by £8 to £383 in April to June 2026, which was still £9 lower than a year earlier.

Why do home insurance premiums increase? Premiums can rise after a claim, if local risks such as crime or flooding change, or across the market when claim costs rise. According to the ABI, the average home insurance claim passed £7,000 for the first time in April to June 2026.

Does my premium go up after a claim? It can. Insurers may see you as more likely to claim again, and you may lose your no-claims discount if it isn't protected.

ABI