jtc and builders and insurance

[bednobs]

Hi i wonder if anyone can help me - we are having some work done to the house starting tuesday. - stairs moved and 2 rooms made bigger plus a new supporting joist put in I phoned up my insurance company to ask if my stuff would be covered in storage and they said "are you having work done"?
when i told them we were, they asked me if our builder had a jtc, and if he didnt, they would hve to downgrade our contents and buildings insurance not to cover accidental damage for the duration of the work (im sorry, i cant at this very moment recall what jtc stood for)
Our builder seems reputable, has public liability insurance and references etc, and is puzzled as to why he would need this thing ... he has never had to have it before, nor has anyones insurers asked for it.
has anyone heard of it? Or got experience to explain it to me? Am i taking too much of a risk not being covered for accidental damage? I cant bear to halt the work, as we have waited some time for this builder to be available. We had proper architect plans drawn up, and its passed planning permission etx

[beryllium]

does seem a bit bizarre... it reads more for major building contractors and since your builder has insurance for accidental damage and you are puting your other bits in storage, which surely is a seperate cover.... I think your insurance company is being a bit ridiculous.
The only cover you need must be for storage surely? as the builder is covered.

Do you have a written contract with the builder too?

http://www.ricsbooks.com/contracts/?gclid=CPWV uKays4sCFSoMQgoddynw1w

[bednobs]

hmmm not a written contract as such, but his estimate, detailing what he plans to do and when, and a letter agreeing terms etc. I must point out that the public liability covers only if the builder has been negligent i think, not if, for example he knocked a wall down as requested, and some intrinsic factor in my house made the rest of them fall down. they are not covering the contents in storage, so i have taken out a seperate policy for that

[MustafaTickl]

The question that your insurer asked you was in effect "have you contracted with your builder by way of one of the Standard Forms of Contract issued by the Joint Contracts Tribunal?".The JCT contracts are tried and tested contracts evolved over the last 60 years and well understood by the courts, the construction industry, the professionals, insurers etc and cover all necessary matters in terms that are understood.by all. They are very, very much safer for all parties than a builders terms and conditions which are often inadequate, biased, confused and sometimes plain daft when shove comes to push. Your insurer is concerned that by not using a JCT contract you are entering into a substantially defective contract which may adversely affect the structure and value of your building and cause you substantial trouble and loss, not just in the matters you refer to.

[beryllium]

sorry to post up another link, but read through this and then decide if your builder should have a jct contract.....

http://www.ricsbooks.com/downloads/Guide%20to% 20selecting%20the%20appropriate%20JCT%20main%2 0contract.pdf

B. :-) xxx