At Direct Corporate Risks (DCR), we work with contractors, developers, and builders across the UK providing Construction Insurance which can protect a wide range of businesses and projects. We also provide comprehensive risk management to mitigate the risk of damage, business interruption, and insurance claims. One of the best ways to do that is by looking at the common Construction Insurance claims that show up regularly across the industry and work around this information to learn from them.
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Construction Insurance claims by numbers
The scale of construction risk shows up in the data. A few figures put the exposure in perspective:
Recorded deaths
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 25 deaths were recorded in the construction industry in 2025/26 – the highest number of any industry in the UK.1 Construction worker fatalities have consistently stayed at the top of the list for years.
Falls from height
Falls from height remain the leading cause of death on site, with 31 fatalities (53%) in 2025/26.2
Ill health
An estimated 79,000 construction workers suffered from work-related ill health (new or long-standing cases). 3
Weather-related payouts have been climbing sharply
Data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) shows insurers paid out £1.5 billion in the last quarter of 2025, as adverse weather events continued to drive up claims costs and specifically linked to storm, flood, and escape-of-water events – all significant exposures for construction projects.4
Public Liability Insurance claims
In 2025/26, 60,399 public liability personal-injury claims were registered in the UK.5
Employers’ Liability Insurance claims
In the same period as above, 46,791 Employers’ Liability claims were registered.6
Both Public Liability and Employers’ Liability claims show how even when precautions are taken, UK businesses, including those in the construction sector, can be at risk of inadvertently injuring a member of the public (or causing damage to their property), or an employee becoming ill or injured while working for you.
These numbers make one thing clear: the categories below aren’t hypothetical risk scenarios – they’re the claims actually driving cost, litigation, and underwriting decisions across UK construction today.
Most common Construction Insurance claims
Property damage to third-party structures
Construction activity often takes place near existing buildings, utilities, and infrastructure. Excavation, demolition, and heavy plant use can easily damage neighbouring property. Cracked foundations, damaged underground services, or water ingress into adjacent structures are all frequent claims.
Property damage was one of the most common commercial insurance claim types reported in 2025,7 and on construction sites these losses usually fall under Public Liability coverage, though larger or more complex projects may require additional more specialised liability protection such as the Construction & Builders Insurance we provide.
Bodily injury and workplace accidents
Falls from height, plant-related injuries, and struck-by incidents remain some of the most frequent – and most costly claims in the industry. Falls from height alone account for roughly half of all construction fatalities, and the HSE’s data consistently shows construction carrying the highest death count of any UK sector.
These claims involve both Employers’ Liability Insurance for employees and Public Liability coverage when a third party, such as a site visitor or a subcontractor’s employee, is injured on site. Because Employers’ Liability claims can take years to settle, insurers regularly report far more claims closing in a given year than are newly registered.
Faulty workmanship and defective construction
Claims alleging poor workmanship, design errors, or the use of substandard materials are increasingly common, particularly on residential and commercial builds, and scrutiny has only intensified since the Building Safety Act 2022 raised the bar on accountability for building safety defects.
These claims can be complicated because standard Public Liability policies often exclude damage to the contractor’s own completed work, making Contract Works Insurance and Professional Indemnity (PI) cover essential insurances, particularly for design-and-build contracts.
Plant & tool theft or damage
Sites are attractive targets for theft, and plant machinery left on-site overnight or over weekends can be especially vulnerable. Plant & Tool Insurance (a form of Contractor’s Equipment cover) is designed specifically to address these losses, covering tools, machinery, and materials in transit or in storage.
Weather and Escape of Water losses
Storms, flooding, and escape of water can cause significant damage to a project mid-construction, long before the structure is complete enough to withstand the elements. With UK insurers paying out a record £6.1 billion in property claims in 2025 8 and weather cited as a key driver of the year’s final-quarter surge, insurers are responding with increased scrutiny, tighter sub-limits, and higher excesses on weather-related perils, particularly on sites in flood-risk areas.
Contract Works (Site) Insurance is the primary policy addressing these exposures, and coverage terms vary widely depending on project type, location, and phase of construction. If you’re unsure on the level of cover needed for your project, talk to our team of experts at DCR, today.
You can’t take out insurance after the event
Understanding common Construction Insurance claims isn’t just about knowing what can go wrong, it’s about building an insurance programme that reflects the actual risks of your projects, so if a claim does occur, it should be a manageable event rather than a financial crisis.
Ready to review your Construction Insurance package? Or looking for a quote for High Risk Liability Insurance? Contact Direct Corporate Risks (DCR) today to discuss coverage tailored to your project portfolio.
Call: 01277 844 360
Request a Quote: directcorporaterisks.com/contractors/construction-builders/
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals-overview.htm
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals-overview.htm
- https://www.bsgltd.co.uk/news/new-hse-statistics-released-construction-safety-in-focus/
- https://www.abi.org.uk/media-hub/news-post/adverse-weather-pushes-property-insurance-payouts-to-61-billion-in-2025
- https://www.weightmans.com/media-centre/news/trends-in-personal-injury-claims/
- https://www.weightmans.com/media-centre/news/trends-in-personal-injury-claims/
- https://www.brownejacobson.com/insights/insurance-insights-annual-review-2026/property-damage
- https://www.abi.org.uk/media-hub/news-post/adverse-weather-pushes-property-insurance-payouts-to-61-billion-in-2025