Insurer-appointed repairs, contractors & poor workmanship

Once an insurer accepts a claim, the dispute can shift from coverage to delivery. Repairs may be delayed, the scope may be disputed, a contractor may cause additional damage or the finished work may not restore the property to the expected standard.

Do not let the number of organisations involved obscure the basic question: what did the insurer agree to provide under the policy, and has that outcome actually been delivered?

Get the repair scope in writing

Ask for the schedule or scope of works, the areas included, who is responsible for each part and how variations will be approved. If an item is omitted, raise it before work progresses too far to inspect the original damage.

Do not accept a contractor blame loop

The insurer may use loss adjusters, surveyors and repair networks, but outsourcing the work does not automatically answer the consumer’s complaint. If the insurer arranged the repair as the method of settling the claim, ask the insurer to explain how it will put right failures in that settlement process.

There may also be separate contractual or professional issues involving the contractor, depending on who engaged them and on what terms. Keep those questions distinct.

Document defects before they are covered up

Ask what outcome the policy requires

The policy may give the insurer options about repair, replacement or cash settlement. The correct remedy therefore depends on the wording and what was agreed. If repairs were chosen, focus on whether the work properly resolves the insured damage rather than demanding an unrelated upgrade.

Separate reinstatement from betterment

An insurer may resist paying for improvements that leave the property materially better than before the loss. But “betterment” should not be used as a label for work genuinely required to complete an effective repair. Ask the insurer to identify the specific element it says is an improvement and the cheaper compliant alternative it proposes.

If the insurer switches to a cash settlement

Ask how the figure was calculated, what repair scope it is intended to fund and whether the amount reflects the cost realistically available to you rather than only a discounted contractor rate that you cannot access. The answer can depend on why the cash settlement is being offered and on the policy wording.

Claims handling continues after acceptance

ICOBS 8.1.1R includes an obligation to settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed. Serious or avoidable delay in an insurer-controlled repair process can therefore be relevant to a complaint even though cover itself is no longer disputed.

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