Tower blocks with flammable or sub-standard cladding will be scrutinised by insurers and could even see their premiums increased.

Insurers are unable to amend existing insurance contracts but many renewals are due in January and April 2018 which will give them a chance to modify policy wordings and prices for future coverage.

After extensive research, many tower block buildings were found to have failed government safety tests and now, some insures are hesitant to cover them. This applies to both constructed buildings and those currently under construction.

One option for insurers is to exclude this type of cladding from coverage, whilst another is to raise premiums. John Ludlow, chief executive of insurance buyers’ group Airmic, said:

“There are different ways the insurers will deal with cladding – all are justified. If you have a property you need to make sure you are responsible.”

Another option would be to force landlords to take down sub-standard cladding at their own expense, rather than raising premiums.

One of the biggest insurers for large UK properties, AXA, has already upgraded its administration process so that information on the number of tall buildings it insures is more readily available – including the type of cladding being used. This is in a bid to help them identify risks more quickly.

Previously, insurers looked at cladding as part of overall fire safety. This meant combustible cladding could be mitigated by other factors such as access to fire escapes and fire doors. However, cladding is now under more scrutiny.

Britain’s national fire safety organisation, the Fire Protection Association, have also been commissioned by insurers to look into issues such as cladding and sprinklers in residential buildings.

This shift in attitude from insurers means architects and building contractors should be looking to work with statement cladding and design specialists such as Lockmetal, to ensure their buildings fully meet the requirements and appease insurers’ concerns. Lockmetal have the experience and expertise to make sure that your cladding project runs smoothly; helping to implement practical, cost-effective and detailed solutions.