What is a listed building?
A listed building is one that is included on the statutory list of ‘buildings of special architectural or historic interest’, sometimes referred to as The National Heritage List. The purpose of ‘listing’ is to celebrate legacy architecture, protecting it for future generations.
Although listed buildings are preserved, they aren’t kept hidden away from the public — quite the contrary. Many are turned into museums that can be visited or even converted into workspaces or homes; you could even be living in one.
What are listed building grades?
Although there is a list of requirements for a building to be ‘listed’, not all fall into the same category. Each listed building will fall into a grade category, depicting the level of historical or architectural significance.
Listed buildings in England and Wales are graded by Historic England, whereas those in Scotland are graded by Historic Environment Scotland, and the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
Listed building grades in England and Wales
Applications for new listed buildings, along with amending and removing entries, are managed by Historic England. They will then make recommendations to the Secretary of State (for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport) who will decide what grade a newly listed building will receive.
Listed building grades in England and Wales include:
- Grade I listed buildings: Those of exceptional interest.
- Grade II* listed buildings: Particularly important buildings of more than special interest.
- Grade II listed buildings: Buildings of special interest that warrant every effort to preserve them.
Listed building grades in Scotland
In Scotland, the authority for listing buildings sits with Historic Environment Scotland, which is an executive agency of the Scottish Government. For a building to become ‘listed’, consent must first be acquired from local authorities.
Listed building grades in Scotland include:
- Category A listed buildings: Buildings of special architectural or historical interest which are outstanding examples of a particular period, style, or building type.
- Category B listed buildings: Buildings of special architectural or historic interest which are major examples of a particular period, style, or building type.
- Category C listed buildings: Buildings of special architectural or historic interest which are representative examples of a period, style, or building type.
Listed building grades in Northern Ireland
Listed buildings in Northern Ireland fall under the jurisdiction of the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities. Like Scotland, local authorities must provide permission before a building can be ‘listed’ in Northern Ireland.
Listed building grades in Northern Ireland include:
- Grade A listed buildings: Buildings of greatest importance to Northern Ireland, typically the least altered examples of landmark styles, periods, and types.
- Grade B+ listed buildings: High-quality buildings that are clearly above the general standard set by grade B1 buildings, or close-to-Grade A buildings with features that detract from the overall appearance.
- Grade B1 listed buildings: Good examples of a particular period or style with small alterations and imperfections.
- Grade B2 listed buildings: B2 is chosen for buildings that qualify for listing by virtue of only a few attributes: e.g. a building sited on a conservation area.
What is covered by Listed Building Insurance?
At Swinton, we offer the same services to Listed Building Insurance customers that we do in our standard Home Insurance packages. Choose from three tiers of cover to create a policy that best suits your needs and those of your property.
This table shows benefits for combined Home Insurance cover
Please refer to policy wordings for exact cover
Key benefits | Essentials | Classic | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
Buildings (Choose a limit to suit your needs) | £500,000 to Unlimited | £500,000 to Unlimited | £500,000 to Unlimited |
Contents (Choose a limit to suit your needs) | £50,000 to £150,000 | £50,000 to £150,000 | £50,000 to £150,000 |
Alternative accommodation cover (Buildings) | Up to £30,000 | Up to £30,000 | Up to £75,000 |
Alternative accommodation cover (Contents) | Up to £10,000 | Up to £10,000 | Up to £20,000 |
Lost or stolen keys | Up to £500 | ||
Freezer contents | Up to £250 | ||
Theft from outbuildings | Up to £2,500 | Up to £5,000 | |
Cover for downloaded audio/visual files | Up to £2,500 | Up to £2,500 | |
Office equipment cover in the home | Up to £5,000 | Up to £10,000 | |
Garden cover | Up to £1,000 | Up to £2,500 | |
£5,000 student cover | |||
Matching sets cover | |||
£100,000 legal protection | Optional | Optional | |
Accidental damage | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Home Emergency | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Personal possessions (cover your valuables and gadgets wherever you are in the world) | Optional | Optional | Optional |
Maximum limits shown. Other features, benefits and limitations exist, please contact us for details. | |||
Why consider Swinton for your Listed Building Insurance?
- Specialist insurers — We compare our specially selected panel of insurers to try and get you a quote.
- Policies tailored to you — Tailor your Buildings Insurance policy with optional additional cover to suit your needs.
- Easy-access online hub — We store your insurance documents in our handy online insurance hub that you can access at any time.
- Claims helpline — Our helpful team of insurance specialists can answer any questions you have with our 24/7 claims helpline or via Live Chat.
How to get a quote
To get set up with your Listed Building Insurance policy, get in touch with our team of experts, either online or over the phone, and we can begin to set up your policy. We just need a few details from you to help get you insurance as quickly as possible.
Information you’ll need to set up your Listed Buildings Insurance cover include:
- As many details on your property as you have available, including the age, location, and listing grade
- Your personal details, including your name, address and contact details
- The level of coverage you’d like to take out with us for your property
- Any additional extras you’d like to add to your policy
Call us today
FAQs about Listed Building Insurance
While anyone can nominate a building to be ‘listed’, only a team of specialists can determine if a property is applicable and at what level it will be listed as.
To be considered as ‘listed’, a building must either show importance in its architectural design or to be of significant interest to the nation’s social, economical, cultural, or military history. The age of a building is also considered when ‘listing’. In broad terms, any buildings predating 1700 that retain most of their original construction are likely listed, along with most built between 1700 and 1850. Buildings less than 30 years old are not usually considered for ‘listing’ as they haven’t stood the test of time.
No, Listed Building Insurance does not cover the contents of your home unless you take out a combined Listed Building and Contents Insurance policy. Alternatively, you could put a separate Contents Insurance policy in place.